Catch Me If You Can
by Penchant-for-raising-Cain
Summary: She was Allen's ultimate mark. He was Lenalee's ultimate case. He may have won the battle, but the war was far from over. Let the chase between con artist and detective begin. ::AU - Allena::
1. Prologue: The End

Catch Me If You Can

**This was a challenge set by CherriAme. She is currently writing a con-artist fanfic too called 'Day and White, Night and Black'. Check it out, it is awesome! **

**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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**Summary:** She was Allen's ultimate mark. He was Lenalee's ultimate case. He may have won the battle, but the war was far from over. Let the chase between con artist and detective begin.

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_The two sat silently under the tree, feeling the heat of the rising sun. She held on to his hand, hoping that he would just deny what he said. She searched his eyes to try and find the joking glint. But all she could see was the pain of the truth. A sympathetic smile dressed his lips, his gray eyes soft. Tears stung her eyes and she shook her head in refusal._

"_Please," she whispered, "Don't tell me that. I don't believe you."_

"_I'm sorry, my love," he said equally quietly, caressing her cheek, "But that is who I am. And that is how I will live."_

_He proceeded to stand, letting go of her small hand. She grasped his hand as it slid out, doubling the force. Her amethyst eyes glistened as she spoke._

"_But why? I thought you really loved me!" she said passionately._

_He bent down again, and gently kissed her lips. The pair pulled apart slowly, savouring every touch. He smiled again and wiped away a tear. The wind picked up and soft petals of spring blossom twirled around the lovers. He carefully pried her fingers from his._

"_I thought I loved you too. But a leopard can never change his spots," he said as a farewell._

_The tears flowed freely as she watched him disappear down the country path. She had been so close, and now he was out of her reach forever. She smiled ironically. He had finished what he had sought out to do._

_She said to no one in particular, "It is true; a leopard can never change his spots. And a con-artist can never change his heart."_

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**November 16th 2010 18:35 – Black Order HQ**

Lenalee Lee sat at her desk with a mug of tea in her hands. The paperwork pile was enormous, almost as big as her brother's. She sighed, and started to sift through it. Most of them were cases for her to sign as complete; murder, theft, fraud, rape. It had almost put a smile on her face to know that so many criminals were now in custody. But the smile vanished when she opened _that_ file.

_That_ file was her ultimate case. _That_ case would have proved her worth as a detective. But _that_ man was something else entirely. _That_ man became her first failed case. Her lips trembled as she read the report that she had sent to the head. Lies. All bloody lies. Lenalee tossed it away angrily, biting back the tears that she refused to shed. She had promised herself – no more tears will fall because of him.

Calming herself down, she went to pick the file up again. A photo had fluttered out, and she stared. It was obviously a university photo, as he wore the uniform of University of Noah proudly. He was striking, to say the least – A mop of spiky white hair framed a pale unblemished face. His gray eyes twinkled with intelligence. With a sincere, warm smile, anyone would think that he was the model student in U of N. _But far from it_, Lenalee thought. She placed the photo back in and flipped the manila coloured folder over. The signature line glared at her, mocking her. Lenalee frowned, and sat.

She grabbed her blue fountain pen, eager to sign. If Lenalee had signed, it would close the case forever, making it one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of all time. The nib wavered over the dots. If she had signed, she would not be allowed to pursue it any further, not even try to make contact with the suspect. Her amethyst eyes glazed over. She rubbed them impatiently, and pressed the nib to the file.

At the end of the day, Lenalee locked her office and found her brother. Komui Lee dozed peacefully on top of his desk, blatantly ignoring the mountain of cases in front of him. Lenalee smiled at the scene, and almost laughed at his name plate. How Komui had gotten to 'Chief Supervisor of Black Order Detectives' she had no idea.

"Brother, it's the end of the day. Time to go home," Lenalee whispered gently.

No reaction. Lenalee frowned, then sighed. _This really is the only way to wake him_, she thought in exasperation.

"Brother, I'm getting married tomorrow," she said woodenly.

All of a sudden, the man jumped to hug Lenalee's legs. Large, fat tears streamed down his cheek, and he bawled like a little child.

"Lenalee! How could you do this to me? How could you betray your brother like this?" he yelled.

"K-Komui, please!" Lenalee said, embarrassed, "It's time to go home."

After a while, the two siblings reached home. Lenalee immediately locked herself into her room, and grabbed her phone. Whilst she expertly dialled her friend's number, she opened her bag. Inside was a manila file. She put her phone to her ear, and also looked at the back of the folder. Lenalee smiled as her eyes landed on the empty signature line. _There is no way I'm giving up on this_, she thought. _But this time, I'll need some help_. The other end of the line picked up.

"Hello, Kanda?" Lenalee said. "It's been a while. Listen, you, me and Lavi – we're going to Las Vegas."

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**Yay, first (not very long) chapter! Well, it's a prologue. Hope you liked it, and if you did, review! :)**


	2. Chapter 1: Prodigy

**Next! It's a bit longer, granted, but if I had made it any longer, too much back story would have been revealed.**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 1: Prodigy

**February 15****th**** 2009, 15:59 – University of Noah**

Allen Walker was bored. His teacher, Mr. Johnny Gill, had officially succeeded in making the fast paced bombings 'The Blitz' exceedingly dull. He wearily looked up from his blank page of notes towards the clock._ Not long now_, he thought. He ran a pale hand through snowy hair, pleading to his own eyes not to close. Allen had been up all night, researching. His lip curled into a furtive smile at the thought of his research. The second hand ticked lazily, signalling the last minute of the lesson. Mr. Gill pushed his thick glasses onto the bridge of his nose, still talking in that dreary monotone. Allen sighed with relief when the bell rang which signalled the last day of the year. _I fear that if the lesson hadn't have ended soon, Mr. Gill would be subject to my special talents_, Allen mused.

Allen whistled while he walked, twirling the keys to his dorm room. The freshmen girls of University of Noah whispered as he walked. Allen smiled at them warmly, inwardly cringing that he acknowledged their presence in the first place. These girls were certified senior stalkers, and Allen talked from experience. It took months to gently dissuade that Lou Fa girl to not sneak into his room at night, every night. One of the girls squealed, and the other grabbed her hand and ran down the corridor. Allen rolled his eyes. _I don't bloody understand girls - especially girls at U of N._

After packing his spare uniform, gym clothes and other belongings into his suitcase, Allen took one last look at the room. It looked just as barren as it did when he first stepped in as a freshman. During his first year, the walls were covered with study material and different piano sheet music. But after that, everything changed. _Everything changed indeed_, Allen thought. With a thought of farewell, he locked the door for the last time.

Getting out of the building was hard work in itself, what with all the graduating seniors celebrating in their own way. The avid musical fans were singing every 'High School Musical' song ever. Allen was practically force fed champagne, which he immediately spat out. The acrid taste of alcohol was still on his tongue as he drove. With a groan, he exited the highway and head towards his guardian's house. Cross Marian's semi-detached wonder was a mere three miles away from Allen's university, but he had his own reasons for choosing to stay in a dorm.

"Oi, Allen! Grab that wine from the fridge and then change for work!" was Cross Marian's warm greeting.

"Yeah, good to see you too, Master," Allen mumbled.

He dumped his suitcase near the washing machine and took the nearest wine to the front of the fridge. Allen almost cried out in despair when he saw the price tag. _That bastard_, he seethed. He walked, almost stomped, into the living room where Cross was. If Allen was younger, and not so pissed off, he would never have dared to confront Cross. The man's looks was imposing enough – long, brilliant red hair, expensive suits and a peculiar mask on the right side of his face – his attitude was worse. But Cross would never admit to it. He saw it as an act of kindness to let Allen serve him and call him 'Master'. Allen set the wine bottle down with a bang. Cross looked up from his magazine and scowled.

"Where was that two minutes ago? You're useless, idiot disciple," the guardian said.

Allen was having none of it. "Care to explain where you got the money to buy this?"

The boy picked up the bottle again and shoved it in Cross's face. Cross pushed the hand out of the way and shrugged nonchalantly.

"You always seem to have enough money. I dipped into your savings a little."

Allen felt drained when he heard those words, though he knew they were coming. He would spend hours on end raking in every cent possible, and then Cross would blow it off in a single buy. Rage came back and flooded him, making his hands shake. He had such an impulse to strangle the man right there, if it were not for him giving Allen a roof over his head.

"This…is a Chateau Margaux 1995," Allen started, trying to control his temper, "It costs approximately $402. You buy wine bottles, albeit cheaper than these, every week. Pray tell, how much money is left in my account?"

Cross closed his eyes, mouthing something. When he opened them again, hints of a evil grin flitted across his face.

"You had $1,834 at the start of the term, right?" he asked.

Allen nodded impatiently. The grin came back in its true form on Cross's face.

"You have $89.93 left."

Allen went numb. He had been so careful; changing PIN numbers every bloody week, asking frequently about his balance. _How in the world did Master get to that money?_ he thought. As if Cross was reading his mind, he produced a little slip of paper to Allen. He took it, and saw a phone number written on.

"Get ready for work, idiot disciple. The bank receptionist, Shirley, and I are having a night alone," Cross said, looking thoroughly amused.

In fifteen minutes, Allen stood at the sandwich shop's counter, bored again. It wasn't as if Cross was jobless – he was the owner of _Timcanpy_, a chain of successful sandwich shops scatter throughout Los Angeles. But successful as it may be, Cross ran into major debt from various banks. He would have been in jail had Allen not have intervened. Now, Allen was meant to learn the business, bottom up. He had argued, saying that his heart was not in business. The two make a deal; Allen was finish his education, and whenever he was home, he would work. Admittedly, Allen liked this shop, since it was the first one. Cross had bought both sides of the semi-detached, and converted the other side into his business. He turned around to look at the clock. 7:35pm. _I shall be heading out soon_, he thought.

7:40pm sharp. Allen left his post and announced to Cross that he was going out. Not that he needed to – his guardian could not care less about the boy. Allen locked his bedroom door, and closed the curtains. A few minutes later, his entire look had transformed. 'James Davidson' ran his fingers through a shoulder length, chestnut brown wig. He carefully shielded his bright gray eyes with dull hazel contacts. Anyone who saw him, would call him a perfect gentleman; 'James' was kitted out in a white silk dress shirt, jet black trousers and tailcoat with smooth cream gloves. He placed an earring on his left ear, and proceeded to leave.

Yes, anyone would call him a perfect gentleman – then again, con artist prodigies like Allen Walker are never what they seem.

* * *

**Same day, 08:23 – Lee Household**

"Wait, Komui, wait!"

Lenalee Lee hopped around on one foot, zipping her boot on the other. Her brother tapped his watch, standing near the car. Once the shoes were firmly in place, Lenalee hastily tied her long black hair in a simple ponytail, grabbed her bag and ran out of the door. She fidgeted with her skirt hem, anticipating the day ahead. She was in line for a promotion from Assisting Officer to Detective for Black Order Detectives. All she had to do was find a case and prove her worth.

Her brother Komui Lee had worked so hard to find her this position. As a university prodigy, Lenalee was quick to aid Komui with the toughest cases. But not many people were keen to take on a senior who hadn't even finished her degree in Detective Science. Komui eventually rose through the ranks to become Supervisor, and allowed Lenalee to drop out and start as an Assisting Officer. Astoundingly, she managed to earn herself a promotion deal in just one year.

Once the siblings reached the organization, they both stepped into Komui's office. Immediately, Lenalee started scanning through recent information. Her eyes dropped a notch when she found another arson file. Komui quickly noticed and kindly took the file from her. Lenalee knew she couldn't get upset about this; but her own parents were killed by them. _Such a foul group_, Lenalee thought, _how do they do this without a hurting conscience?_

"AKUMA have struck again, I see," Komui murmured quietly. Lenalee agreed with a nod.

"I'll look for a different case. My emotions will probably hinder those ones," she said.

After hours on end of searching, with the pile never growing smaller thanks to Komui's Section Chief, Reever Wenhamm, Lenalee wearily picked up another file. Her eyes instantly grew wider as she read the case. It took barely three seconds for the decision to form in her mind. Lenalee dropped the case lightly on top of Komui's snoozing head.

"LENALEE, DON'T LEAVE ME!" Komui screamed in his wake, "Wha-oh, Lenalee?"

Lenalee ignored the last display and said happily, "This is the case I want. Apparently, there have been cases of small robberies right across LA. It sounds fishy, since no one suspicious had been seen entering or leaving the buildings. I believe we're looking at a professional."

Komui read through it himself, and said, "Lenalee…are you sure you want to go for such a hard case? If it truly is a professional, then he will stop at nothing to make sure he's not caught."

Lenalee shook her head. "No, if I can handle this, then that promotion is in the bag."

Komui sighed. He had not expected his sister to pick a potentially dangerous case.

"Okay, fine," he said finally, "I will run this by Leverrier when I go to the meeting."

Lenalee thanked him dearly, and walked to the coffee room. She thought the least she could do for her hard working (when he was not asleep) brother was to make him some coffee. Pouring herself some tea, she sent Komui's coffee with Reever and then settled into her own cubicle. Even though the case hadn't been officially handed over to her, Lenalee started some Internet research anyway.

_My first real case_, she thought with excitement. _I won't fail._

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**Yeah, I did say that the chapters will be split into two flashbacks and then real time – but I wrote so much for the real time that it became a chapter on its own! I will post that next week, and until then, reviews are welcome! And what is AKUMA, you ask? Well, with patience, you will find out! It may be only the first real chapter, but try to have a guess at what's going on. :)**

**11/28/10**** - Sorry to those people who are getting confused. It will be a tad confusing, but read with patience. This is the first time I've ever written a crime story, and a romance story, so bear with me. Thank you to those who pointed this out, and others who have reviewed, favourite'd and Story Alerted! :)**


	3. Chapter 2: What Happened in Vegas

**Alright, next instalment. Sorry to those who have been getting confused with the last two chapters, I don't think I've been clear enough. This chapter is in real time – we'll see Lenalee and her two best buds travel to Las Vegas to find our con-artist.**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

* * *

Chapter 2: What Happens in Vegas

**November 16****th**** 2010, 21:13 – Lee Household**

It didn't take long for Kanda Yuu to speed up the driveway of the Lee household. Lenalee heard the impatient honks, and quickly grabbed her suitcase. She was dressed for a Las Vegas masquerade casino night – a plum knee length strapless dress, with a black belt hugging her waist. The ribbons of her purple shoes were intricately woven into a flower at her ankle. She held her suitcase in one hand and her mask in the other. Lenalee had made the mask herself; a dark indigo-purple eye mask with thin jet black feathers curling around the right eye. Wrapping herself with a lilac shawl, Lenalee ran towards the door.

_Dammit. Komui._ Lenalee skidded to a halt when she saw Komui standing in front of the door. His expression was nothing short of manic. The older Lee's dark eyes kept twitching at the sight of the Ferrari. He finally noticed Lenalee and her classy attire. The Chinese girl pasted a large grin on her face, whilst her brain hastily came up with an excuse.

"Brother, I'm heading to Las Vegas."

Komui raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, Lavi got intelligence about an infamous LA criminal planning to steal a precious item from one of the casinos."

He wasn't buying it. "Is that so? Then tell me, why did I not hear of this?"

Lenalee's palms went sweaty. Half of her explanation was true, so why not tell him the rest of it? Lenalee walked closer to Komui, and dropped her voice. Komui sensed her secrecy and frowned.

"What's going on?" he asked.

_Honk, honk, honk._ Kanda was getting even more impatient, smacking the horn again and again. Lenalee's eyes darted an apology to him and turned back to Komui.

"I intend to clear _his_ name," she said in a low tone.

Komui's eyes widened dramatically. Lenalee braced herself, waiting for her brother to shout a refusal. Instead, Komui reached across and hugged her tight. At first she was shocked – _where was the shouting?_ – but she hugged him back.

"Be very careful," Komui whispered gently, "otherwise it's on Kanda's and Lavi's heads."

Lenalee smiled and thanked him. She leapt out of the doorway and into Kanda's passenger seat. The driver rolled his eyes and immediately backed out of the driveway. The two stayed in silence whilst Kanda drove towards another estate. Lenalee looked at her companion, who was muttering his usual road rage curses under his breath. Had she not been in the car, the profane words would have been bellowed. _Loud enough for the car in front to hear_, she mused. Kanda was dressed in a black tuxedo, gloves and a crescent moon mask laid beside him. His long black hair, usually tied high, rested in a neat low ponytail. The signature frown deepened when he was stuck into yet another red light.

Lenalee broke the silence. "It's been months since we've worked together, hasn't it Kanda?"

Kanda grunted a yes. His eyebrows were knitted with concentration as he artistically yet maniacally wove between cars. _Thank the Lord that Komui doesn't know how Kanda drives_, Lenalee thought whilst gripping the door handle. More silence ensued.

Once Kanda turned into a suddenly barren town road, he spoke, "Fill me in, Lenalee. You were being vague before. Why the hell do you think Moyashi is in Las Vegas?"

Lenalee giggled slightly at the nickname. Kanda obviously still remembered what happened. Kanda turned his head slightly, demanding an answer to his question.

"Sorry, Kanda, I was miles away," Lenalee said, "I think it's better if I brief you once we have Lavi with us."

Within minutes, the Ferrari Maranello slid beside a Harley Davidson motorbike. Kanda only had to honk once for the occupant of the house to come running out. Even in the blackness of the night, the man's bright crimson hair could be seen. A black headband kept a few runaway strands lifted from a single emerald eye; the other was covered with a black eye-patch. He wore a midnight blue suit and held a Venetian Joker mask in his hand. He clambered into the car, earning a glare from Kanda when he slammed the door shut.

"Oi, Baka Usagi," he growled, "Try doing that again with no arm."

Lenalee rolled her eyes, and said, "Hey there, Lavi. Alright, let's head out."

At that, the trio started speeding towards Las Vegas. Lenalee resisted the urge to laugh at Kanda during the drive. Lavi was trying testing the Japanese man's patience – putting his feet up on the seats, playing with the automatic windows. The final straw was when the redhead sneezed and wiped his hands on the upholstery. The car almost crashed when Kanda launched to attack Lavi, Lenalee grabbing the wheel to keep it steady. A couple of minutes after that incident, Lavi with a bruise on his arm and Kanda fuming in the driver's seat, Lenalee spotted an array of light. They had reached Las Vegas.

Unlike every other person in the city, the occupants of the car were not gazing at the wonderful lights. They all started to compose themselves; Kanda noticeably calmed down and Lavi adopted a serious expression. They all knew the game plan by now. _Let's hope it goes according to plan_, Lenalee thought. She ran through the plan and information in her head.

_Daisya Barry, undercover agent for the Black Order,_ she thought, _has been passing information about AKUMA to us for years. Recently, he spotted a man who looked like Allen at one of the casino Lord Tyki Mikk, a Noah, owned. After speaking to the man discreetly, he confirmed that the man was Allen Walker. Daisya then tracked Allen's movement across casinos. He was going along in an alternate pattern. Lavi was given this information, which he told me. By process of elimination, the Butterfly Casino is the only one left. We'll head there, and split up. Once we've found him, we'll convince him to come with us._

_Oh God,_ Lenalee was struck with another thought: _I haven't seen him in months! What will I say? What will _he_ say? It's been so long, and so much unsaid…_

She clenched her fist on her lap._ No matter what, he will be deemed innocent._

In seconds, Kanda smoothly brought the Ferrari to the entrance of the Butterfly Casino. A huge glittering butterfly bordered the glass doors. Kanda threw his keys wordlessly to the valet. He then stopped, and turned to the man.

"If I see one scratch on that car," he whispered threateningly, "You're mince meat."

Once the valet had driven away, for his job and for his life, Kanda smirked and put on his mask. Lenalee and Lavi followed suit, quickly smartening themselves up. Linking arms with the two men, Lenalee dressed herself with a flashy smile, and stepped in.

Instantly, the lights burned her eyes. The constant calling and shouting of gamblers drummed on her ears. After getting over the initial shock, Lenalee realized with a fright that her companions had already gone. _Get it together_, she scolded herself. _You are a Senior Detective, not a rookie – toughen up._

It seemed that Lord Tyki Mikk spared no expense on his largest casino. Roulette tables, laden with precious gems scattered the floor. The carpet was intricately stitched – _Ming dynasty_, Lenalee mused. Hordes of masked men and women gambled as far as the eye could see. She spotted some doors, probably leading off to private poker rooms. Her eyes widened when she saw the jewel in Lord Mikk's crown; a gigantic amethyst-covered butterfly hung at the end of the casino, brandishing a banner reading 'Masquerade Magic'. Though the décor and general atmosphere was pleasant, Lenalee could feel tension. Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't put her finger on what.

There, that was it. At every other table, a known member of AKUMA lurked mask-less. Of course the Las Vegans wouldn't figure it out; they were all too immersed with the prospect of get rich quick. The detective could spot a few familiar faces from Wanted posters - Eshi, the artist who wanted to make a quick buck and Pierrot, a deadbeat clown who was great at joking around with lives. A claw gripped Lenalee's heart as she saw someone far deadlier than the others.

Anyone would describe the man as a child, with his innocent mask-less face and childlike stature. He was dressed in a silver suit with a black pentacle sewn across the breast pocket. He wielded power amongst the gang, almost as much as the Noah. Not many have seen him, but Lenalee didn't need to remember what happened in her encounter. A scar along the man's left cheek was enough proof. No one knows his real name – but he is referred to as Level Four.

Lenalee couldn't suppress the foreboding feeling, and started to look for her friends. It didn't take long for her to locate Kanda, who was promptly tackled into by Lavi.

"He's no where round the roulettes," Lavi reported breathlessly, "But man; ya should've seen the dough I raked in!"

Kanda ignored the last comment, and also reported, "Moyashi's not in the blackjack suites. Maybe someone fed a lie to Usagi."

Lavi let out a whine of protest, and started to ramble on about the CIA training he had on how to spot a false lead. Lenalee drifted off, not paying attention to the bickering pair. She noticed an ace of spades lying on the carpet. She picked it up warily, not wanting to draw unnecessary eyes to her. It was a beautiful card, bearing the purple butterfly insignia of Tease Industries on the back. Tyki took pride in his cards, especially poker cards. Poker cards? Lenalee smacked her head and turned to the two.

"I was so stupid!" Lenalee said, "We've been getting nowhere because we've forgotten about him and how he thinks!"

The two men stopped arguing, and looked at her in confusion. Lenalee sighed, and smiled.

"What was his favourite game in the whole world?"She asked, hoping that they would catch on.

Sadly, that only caused more confusion. _Sometimes, even the smartest people can be really slow_, she thought desperately.

"Poker?" she said.

That clicked in their minds. They immediately raced to various poker rooms, looking for a tiny hint of Allen Walker. Despite the masks, Lenalee was certain that she would spot the man. His face – with its smiles, frowns, laughter and tears – were etched in her mind forever more. The trio were panting when they reached the last door. Lavi opened it slowly, thoroughly tired from running around in a never-ending casino.

Lenalee gasped. She saw a shock of spiky black hair, the bangs peppering a silver plated eye mask. Blue eyes and a cheeky grin were perfectly covered by a poker face. He called the cards gently, smirking slightly at his opponents' dismay. She could barely glimpse at the cards artfully tucked away in the sleeve of his obsidian tuxedo.

"Damn you, Charlie! You cleaned me out!" one of the men exclaimed to the youth.

The man laughed, and caught eyes with Lenalee. His face turned to surprise. Kanda and Lavi looked at her, asking silently. But she didn't notice – even under that entire disguise, she could see the man that turned her life upside down.

"It's him," she whispered again and again, "It's Allen Walker."

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**Hopefully, no one is confused right now. Do you think I should write in Allen's point of view for the next real time segment? Well, tell me what you thought – the good, the bad and the ugly – by reviewing! Until next Thursday…**

**I'll be drawing the four in their casino wear and it will be available soon on my Deviant Art account! **


	4. Chapter 3: Whisper in a Woman's Ear

**This is 'flashback' time and the next will be real time. **

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

* * *

Chapter 3: Whisper in a Woman's Ear

**February 15****th**** 2009, 19:50 – Downtown LA**

Allen smoothed his hair before stepping into _Anita's_, the classiest club in all of LA. He gave one smirk, and then easily switched his 'Allen' mask for 'James Davidson', a gentleman looking to hired as a pianist. He walked towards the receptionist's desk, but paused in quiet surprise. _It's Lou Fa!_ Allen thought. _Damn, I didn't know she worked here! Will this disguise fool her? I mean, she stalked me day and night at university! _

But Allen was a professional, and a minor issue like that was not going to stop his intent. He flashed a warm grin and greeted the woman, "Good evening ma'am. I am here to enquire about an opening for the club's pianist?"

Lou Fa continued typing on her computer, not looking up. After several seconds, the words seemed to register in her mind. Her eyes widened behind her glasses, and she jumped on her feet, holding Allen's hand.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I was just filling in some membership details; I didn't mean to ignore you! Oh, welcome to Anita's, Mister…?"

Lou Fa paused, realizing that she did not know his name. Allen didn't miss the beat, and clasped the other hand on top of hers. He gave another winning smile, certain that Lou Fa would melt. _She melted for Allen, and since Allen is James…why not?_ He considered.

"Call me James. James Davidson – I had made an appointment to see Miss. Anita," He said.

Her face was tinged pink when she sat in front of the computer again. She looked back up at him in seconds.

"Yes, everything seems to be in order. You're quite punctual, James. Miss. Anita is waiting in her private lounge. Let me guide you there," the receptionist said.

Allen nodded graciously and allowed the girl to take him to the owner. They passed several corridors, Lou Fa giving a running commentary about all of them. Time to time, he would murmur his approval, but truthfully he did not care. Allen's eyes were searching for the prize. Lou Fa seemed to notice, and stopped in her track. The con artist crashed right into her, causing the receptionist to drop her papers. Allen apologized profusely, whilst cursing his absent-mindedness inwardly.

Lou Fa just laughed it off, and Allen saw her face tinge red. He gave a private smirk: God, she is so easy. If she's working here later on, I'll be finished ahead of time! He thanked her quietly as he walked through the ornate door that she was holding open. Allen was greeted by the most gorgeous woman. Her silken Chinese robes draped her thin figure. Elaborate makeup and accessories framed her face, which was dressed with a benevolent smile. Allen bowed, knowing immediately who she was. She was the woman who held full authority in this club, and was also Allen's latest victim – Anita.

"Salutations Miss. I trust I find you well?" Allen started politely.

Anita laughed, the sound heard was like wind chimes. "My dear boy! When I found out that someone had applied to become a pianist here, I didn't think it would a high school student!"

Allen resisted the urge to frown. All through his life, someone had commented on his lack of height. He was even bullied in high school over this trivial affair. Allen would shake it off, but it still stung every time someone insinuated that he was short.

"Miss. Anita, I am a capable twenty-two year old. I finished college not long ago, and I wish to be employed here," Allen said clearly.

It was obvious that Anita had not expected such a crisp response. She immediately sobered, entering a business frame of mind.

"Well, Mr. Davidson – your application was by far the best. If it is okay with you, I would like you to start performing from tonight. The club opens in two hours," Anita explained.

"R-Really? I get the job?" Allen feigned surprise, "I will be more than happy to start tonight."

"Is there any stage name you would like to go by?" Anita asked.

"James would be fine."

After a few more kind exchanges of words, the pair shook hands and Allen departed for his locker room. Lou Fa guided him there, under his request.

"So, are you just a receptionist? Or do you work elsewhere?" Allen started, acting nonchalant.

"I have a really important job when the club opens!" Lou Fa said, warming up to the conversation instantly.

"Oh, and what is that?" Allen asked, now genuinely interested.

"I guard the safe so that no one steals Miss. Anita's gold hair clasps. They have diamonds in them as well, you know," she said.

What she didn't notice was that her companion had stopped dead in his tracks. The feeling of wanting to laugh hysterically was too powerful to resist. He struggled to keep his warm smile from dissolving into a full-fledged laughing fit. Quickly readjusting his 'James' mask, he kept walking.

_So easy_, he thought. _I thought this was going to be a challenge._

Two hours passed quickly, and avid music fans filled in to listen to the new pianist. But Allen was nowhere near the stage. He walked swiftly through the corridors, trying to remember the way towards the safe. His lip curled as he thought of how he found it. He had asked Lou Fa ever so sweetly to show him where the safe was, and she complied without hesitation. At last, he took the final turn. _Here we go_, Allen thought as he exhaled.

Lou Fa's eyes grew wide with surprise as she recognised the person walking towards her. Allen cursed himself for not being more discreet, and knew he had to work quickly. Anita was due to introduce him in approximately three minutes, and he had to be out of there. So, he softly clamped a gloved hand over Lou Fa's mouth. He willed his eyes to become tender and a smile to play his lips.

"Wha…?" Lou Fa asked, her voice muffled.

"Shh," Allen whispered, "You'll ruin the moment. You know, I fell for you the moment I laid my eyes on you. Miss. Lou Fa, you have truly captured my heart. Please, let me whisk you away now."

He released the girl, waiting for a response. She was blushing furiously, her breath panting slightly.

"I-I feel the same, James," she stammered, "You remind me of someone I know…"

Allen inwardly groaned. _This girl will never forget me, will she?_

Lou Fa continued, "It's just that – we both have jobs! Neither of us will finish before midnight, so why don't we go then?"

Allen shook his head gently. He put an arm around her waist, braced himself, and pulled her in for a kiss. It was short, mostly because Allen wanted to gag. Nevertheless, he hung on long enough to pull her in. Lou stumbled away, her glasses steamed up. He came closer and whispered in her ear.

"Don't you see? I cannot wait. Go – run outside, and I will bring our belongings. After that, we can enjoy each other's company underneath the stars."

Lou Fa remained speechless, her knees wobbling. She nodded repeatedly and rushed from her position. Once she was gone, Allen dropped his mask. With one ear against the safe door, he quickly but quietly deciphered the code. And there they were – the precious hair clasps, each one could be easily sold for a thousand dollars. Allen unzipped a hidden pocket, revealing the exact same clasps. But no, they were not exact; Allen replaced the priceless ones for the counterfeit. Finally, he slipped his spoils of the night inside.

_Their best security system was Lou Fa?_ Allen wondered. _It's amazing that no one has tried this before._

And with that thought, he ducked out of the back door and walked towards his car, spinning his keys on his finger. Making sure that no one, particularly Lou Fa, would get in the way, he backed out of the parking and drove away. And the only proof that he was there, the proof that Anita would soon find, was a small card with a lone crimson rose stamped on.

* * *

**February 19****th****, 17:56 – Black Order HQ**

Lenalee was sitting in her cubicle, utterly tired. She had recently read the news report about a robbery from the club Anita's, but the FBI was keeping all the crucial information from her. Now, she had to wait to get approval from the Central's head, Malcolm Leverrier, before she can carry on. Today was her luck day.

"Lenalee! Lenalee!" Komui hollered from the end of the corridor.

He seemed to teleport into Lenalee cubicle, making her almost spill her tea. She stared at the file in his hand. It had the title 'CON ARTIST: DESIGNATED CASE' written on it, with a red stamp reading 'APPROVED' blaring from the plain cover. Lenalee broke into a huge grin and hugged her brother. He hugged her back, doing a small dance at the same time.

"You got the case, sis," he said. "It's all yours."

She pulled away, absolutely speechless with joy. Her time to shine had come, and there was no way she wouldn't try her hardest. The joy dimmed slightly as Komui's smile lost a few centimetres.

"Well, I say it's all yours," he said, "but the FBI is being resistant. They don't want to hand this solely over to us, so you will be aided by a leading officer. They have also contacted a CIA intelligence worker to assist you, so you have access to all the information."

Lenalee stayed silent, soaking all this information in. Large law enforcing agencies like the FBI and CIA never had a smooth relationship with Black Order Detectives. Niceties were maintained, but everyone knew that knives get sharpened underneath it all. Now that such a prospective case was about to be handed over to a detective to-be, the antagonism must gave grown.

She finally said, "If I'm gaining so much right now, I expect my own office for this case."

Komui chuckled and said, "Don't worry, you'll get an office. But first, you need to go and meet your new colleagues at the recent crime scene. Tapp will be driving you."

After a few minutes, Lenalee bade farewell to Komui. Tapp, one of Reever's right hand men, hummed along to the pop song on the radio. The drive wasn't long, and the pair arrived in the midst of police cars and motorbikes. The area was cordoned off with yellow police tape, and Lenalee found it almost thrilling to part the tape and make her way inside. She was greeted with hot glares from FBI officers, all of whom knew that she was the Supervisor's sister. Lenalee smiled nervously in returned, and decided to wait outside.

_VROOM! HONK, HONK!_ People parted in surprise as a black Ferrari Maranello sped up to the parking lot. The windows were tinted, so the driver was hidden from view. Lenalee heard some people starting to whisper, whilst others scoffed loudly at the car.

"The occupant of the vehicle seemed to be unfavoured amongst the FBI," Lenalee murmured.

Tapp heard her and mutter back, "Oh, he's favoured alright. But loathed – he's like the dark horse of the police. Apparently he has the worst attitude ever!"

At that cue, the driver stepped out. He was tall, Lenalee noted, with flowing raven hair tied into a high ponytail. Straight cut bangs rested on his forehead, and he wore a threatening frown. After locking the car, he stuffed the keys inside his leather jacket and walked with loping strides towards the club.

Tapp stood front of him, earning himself a glare. He flinched, but spoke nonetheless, "Officer? I'd like you to meet the detective you will be working with."

He gestured to Lenalee, who smiled warmly. The man continued to frown, but softened his gaze slightly. She held out a hand, and after a few second hesitation, he briefly shook it.

"Hello, I'm Lenalee. Lenalee Lee."

Lenalee waited for the officer to introduce himself, but he stayed silent. She peered at him into those dark abyss eyes. They glowed with intensity, as if he'd seen it all and wanted more. It unnerved her. Finally, he said something.

"Kanda. Kanda Yuu."

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**Reviews would be nice. Join the review revolution! Every author knows how much it sucks to get like 500 visits and then 10 reviews. Did the other 490 dissolve after they read the story?**

**Rant mode finished. Has anyone seen 'Mean Girls'? If you have, then you should know that I'm performing the Kevin G rap tomorrow, to entice people to come to our charity stall! Some random info…**


	5. Chapter 4: Joyride

**This real time chapter is in Allen's POV, because I wanted a change of perspective for this. Does anyone want to see anyone else's perspective, like Kanda or Lavi? Oh, and guess what movie I was watching last night? 'Catch Me If You Can' starring Leonardo DiCaprio! xD**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 4: Joyride

**November 16****th**** 2010, 23:46 – Butterfly Casino**

Allen froze as soon as he saw those unmasked amethyst eyes. They were big and looking close to tears. Thankfully, his mask covered most of his surprise and he returned his gaze back to his cards. Ignoring the ever present royal straight flush in his hands, Allen's mind started calculating and panicking at the same time. At one side, he reasoned with himself – _maybe they didn't notice me, and she was just doing an overall sweep with her eyes?_ The panicking side was chanting – _Oh Lord, she actually found me! _Allen whispered his call, and the other men shouted in horror at his fifteenth win.

"Damn you, Charlie! You cleaned me out!" exclaimed Roger, who grudgingly shifted the playing chips towards Allen.

The youth just laughed and, thinking that the detectives had gone, looked around again. This time, surprise was obvious. Lenalee Lee was looking straight into his blue contacts. He shifted quietly, getting ready to race out of the door if need be. Trying to calm his rebelliously fast heartbeat, he still told himself that there was a possibility that Lenalee did not recognise him.

"It's him," she whispered, audible to Allen's sharp ears, "It's Allen Walker."

_She recognised me_; Allen thought, half with dismay, half with joy. Not one day had gone by when he did not regret his decision on that spring sunrise – but it was the only way to bring his Uncle Neah back. Allen blinked away tears of reminiscence, and excused himself from the poker table. He cursed himself for not driving to the venue himself, and started formulating a plan. _Deception_, Allen thought ruefully. _Isn't that the trick of my trade? Well, fool them twice – shame on them._

Allen walked boldly towards the detectives, surveying the two men accompanying Lenalee. Lavi and Kanda - her colleagues who assisted her case before – both stared at him warily, ready to confront him if the need arose. Allen ran a hand through his hair before speaking to the trio, deliberately deepening his voice.

"Hello, there," 'Charlie' said, "My name is Charles, but you can call me Charlie. Are you here to join me and my friends for another round of poker?"

Kanda's eyes flashed dangerously, as if daring him to continue lying. Lavi wore a stony expression, his emerald eyes blazing, and one hand on Lenalee's shoulder. Allen emitted an inaudible sigh and plastered on his signature smile. Lenalee was earnestly crying now, and she let out a small gasp at that action. _SLAP!_ The sound resounded through the small room. Allen clutched his cheek in shock, his mask askew. He stared incredulously into her teary eyes.

"You dare, Allen Walker," Lenalee whispered threateningly, "You dare try to make a fool out of me twice?"

He looked away, hiding his face. Lenalee grabbed the scruff of his shirt and forcefully made eye contact.

"You dare try to con me twice?" she shouted.

She released her grip from his shirt, and clamped the hand onto his wrist. Wincing from her painful grip, Allen found himself being dragged out of the poker room, towards the exit. Several AKUMA members noticed the scene. Pierrot narrowed his eyes, and widened them as they came to Allen. _Crap_, Allen rolled his eyes,_ how many people are going to recognise me today? _The clown gangster hustled over to them, placing a hand on his jacket pocket.

"Oi, oi," Pierrot started, "Con-artists ain't allowed here - especially you, Walker. Master Noah told me to erm, 'take care of you', if your filthy face appeared."

In an instant, Pierrot whipped out a handgun. The main roulette hall fell into silence when he clicked it. A mad grin appeared on his face, showing no remorse. He waited for his victim to plead for his life, or at least cower in fear. Instead, he was met with cocky blue eyes. The AKUMA member faltered, scratching his head in confusion. Allen smirked wider – _what he hadn't calculated_, he thought, _was that I am currently surrounded by law enforcers. This will be interesting._

_Click_. The sound of another gun cocked echoed from beside Allen. He turned to see the Kanda, the FBI officer, holding his gun towards Pierrot. His expression was calm, but his eyes told a different story. They raged like the midnight ocean, and Allen could feel his own heart racing in terror.

"Drop the gun," The Japanese man growled, "I suggest you listen to the FBI. Drop it, or Mugen will shoot you right through the brain."

Sweat coated Pierrot's face, and he started backing off. The corner of Kanda's mouth turned up into a small smirk as he pocketed the gun.

"If I wasn't on a different case right now, you'd be in handcuffs on the way to prison this very second," Kanda threatened, "But don't count yourself lucky. Someone will be on the way to pick you up soon."

By then, a whirlwind of murmuring was flying through the halls, fearful voices scattered amongst them. Lenalee's vice like grip on Allen wrist had slacked in the tension, and Allen would be a fool not to take advantage of that. He gently extracted his hand, and started sneaking to the back of the casino. Unfortunately, another AKUMA member, Eshi, caught the movement and fired his gun. Luckily, the shot was wide, but it had exposed him. Screams ensued, and the regular gamblers started making a bid for freedom. Chaos ruled the scene – and Allen was right in the middle of it.

He quickly dodged more bullets, and spotted an unused back door and ran towards it. He could hear Kanda swearing loudly and saw the man coming at him. _I will escape! _Allen thought whilst a bullet whizzed past his head. _I will not be killed or be captured._

"Kanda!" Lenalee called, "Aim for the gun!"

Kanda paused, and nodded. Whipping out his precious handgun, Mugen, he took aim. A millisecond later, the shot zoomed towards Eshi's hand. It hit the middle of the gun with deadly accuracy, throwing it away from his hand by sheer force. It skidded across the floor, halting at a random roulette table. Eshi ran for it, but Lavi was faster. He toppled several tables over the man, pinning him to the floor. For an added insult, Lavi dropped several chips over his face, completely hiding it from view.

Allen sighed with relief, but then he remembered that he was the main target. He heard Lenalee call his name as he rushed out of the back door. Looking around frantically, he spotted a valet. He was slumped in his small office, holding a bottle of vodka in his hand. Allen sneaked over, and grabbed some random keys from the rack. He pressed the unlocking button and a sleek black sports car responded. Without taking a second glance back, he ran to the car and slotted in the key. In the rear view mirror, Allen saw a glimpse of the detectives running out of the casino.

"The police will be here soon," Allen murmured to himself. "If Kanda promised it, it will happen."

And he was right – not long later, Allen heard police sirens behind him. He looked at the driver through the mirror – it was a very pissed off Kanda Yuu. His face was murderous, and it was obvious he was shouting some very unsavoury things. Allen changed gears, and floored it. The sports car screeched and sped down the Las Vegas strip. He deftly manoeuvred it between honking cars, but his experience told him that Kanda was a very able driver as well. He risked a glance back; yes, he was still there on his trail. Allen cursed and turned a corner.

The sound of the siren was long gone, but the car chase continued. Navigationally, Allen had the disadvantage. No matter how many times he drove through Las Vegas, trying to memorise the various streets, the map was never stored into his mind. He kept turning, hoping to out manoeuvre Kanda with the help of a sports car. The matter was writhing inside his mind, and when the police car disappeared, Allen finally got to think about the situation. Despair of a broken promise was the first emotion that cropped up in his mind. He brushed away a single tear at the thought of that promise.

_She said_, he thought, _she said she wouldn't arrest me. Now, what is Lenalee doing here with Kanda and Lavi? Why is she breaking her promise? I never did anything wrong! She told me herself – my motives were just, but my actions were not. Doesn't the end justify the means?_ He slowed down and decided to head towards his hotel. It was clear to him that Las Vegas was no longer safe. With the aid of another disguise, no one would notice a certain con-artist disappear into the night.

But he was thinking that before a certain police car sped into view and blocked the road. Allen slammed the brakes hard – the lack of space prevented him from doing a U-turn.

"Shit," Allen muttered, nursing his aching neck that had whacked against the seat. He sighed heavily, and got out of the car with his hands up.

Kanda was the first to get out of the car, and he stormed towards the white haired man. He snatched the keys from Allen's hand, and proceeded to grab his shirt. Allen squirmed as the unforgiving officer stared at him with hard eyes.

"You fucking criminal, Moyashi," Kanda snarled, "Take my car again, and it will be the last drive you will ever have."

Allen peered back at the car, and cursed. It _was _Kanda's car, the Ferrari Maranello - how could he have failed to spot the Ferrari insignia, the obsidian black paint and the hell of an engine that he had seen before? _Although_, Allen pondered, _the last time I sat in that car, it was not a happy experience. _He pushed Allen back, who stumbled into Lenalee. She turned him around, wearing a neutral expression. He noticed that within a year, her teenage like beauty hadn't faded. But his heart throbbed every time he saw those crystalline orbs – working on opposite side of the law did that to him. She held him firmly at arm's length, not tearing the gaze.

"Allen," Lenalee spoke softly, "We're here to help you, not arrest you. We're here to clear your name. Please, let us help."

Allen's eyes widened, and he gently shook himself from Lenalee. Conflicting thoughts entered his mind, many telling him not to trust her. But Allen pushed them all aside, and smiled.

"Any assistance you can give me, I would be honoured to take," he said politely.

With that, he was rugby tackled into a hug by Lavi, who yelled something about missing his Moyashi-chan. Lenalee also hand her arms around him, nuzzling her head into the crook of his shoulder. His could feel his face burning, but he patted her back nevertheless. Kanda stood aside with a sour look on his face, evidently inspecting his Ferrari. His frown deepened and he threw a black glare at Allen.

"You scratched it."

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**LOL, Kanda gets his car back! Christmas holidays in two days, so a lot more time to write. Tell me the good, the bad and the ugly with these chapters – can I do action scenes well? That was my first true written action scene, and I'm dying to know how it went. So, reviews are cool! If I've made any typos or grammatical errors, please tell me and I will fix them.**


	6. Chapter 5: Investigation

**Flashback - and it's been about four days since Allen has conned. What shall unfold in this chapter? The next real time chapter will be written in Kanda's POV because someone requested it, and it'll be fun! Additional tangent: Happy Emperor's Birthday in Japan! ^-^ (my calendar told me…)**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 5: Investigation

**February 19****th**** 2009, 04:12 – Allen's House**

"OI, IDIOT DISCIPLE!"

Allen stirred in his bed, groaning at the voice. He opened his eyes and looked at his bedside clock – 4:12am. He groaned again, and turned over to drift back to sleep. His plans were smashed when Cross barged into Allen's room, stomping his boots on the laminate flooring. Allen peered up just time to have ice cold water splashed on his face. He sat up bolt straight, shaking his head frantically like a dog. He looked at Cross with hatred, but the man merely smirked in response.

"You have early breakfast orders to fill, so get up lazy," Cross said, kicking the youth out of bed.

Allen landed on the floor in a heap. He heard rustling from his closet and Cross threw a fresh shirt and pants at him. _Who the hell buys breakfast at this ungodly hour?_ Allen thought, exasperated. He waited until his guardian left, then changed into a white cotton shirt, black slacks, fastened the signature gold apron of _Timcanpy_ and pinned his cross shaped nametag onto it. With a sigh, Allen trudged downstairs to serve breakfast.

Not one minute had passed at the counter, and Allen's voracious appetite started to claw at his stomach lining. Embarrassed by the growling noises, though no one was there to notice, Allen moved to the back of the store. Freshly baked croissants and pastries mocked him and he had to sit on his hands to resist temptation. _Master would definitely class this as 'slacking off', the douche_, Allen thought bitterly. The bell at the entrance rang, so Allen peered to see his first customers of the day. Obviously, this day was not going in Allen's favour – it was his old university 'buddies' Rikei and Shifu.

Allen never felt he was truly friends with the pair; it was an obligatory relationship, all because of Lou Fa. The two of them were top of the class when it came to Science, but for some reason, they always fancied themselves as amateur detectives. And as always, every time Allen had conned and succeeded, they would drag him around all day to 'look for clues' at the crime scene. He half hearted waved at Shifu, whilst grimacing inside.

"Yo, Walker! Long time, no see!" Rikei said.

"Yeah, what've you been up to, buddy?" Shifu added.

Allen faked a smile, his natural talent. Underneath the pleasantries, he was banging his imaginary head against an equally imaginary brick wall. Shaking himself slightly awake, he answered the two.

"Hi there, Rikei, Shifu. It's only been four days since graduation – I don't see how that is a long time. As for me, I have been working all week," he said crisply.

Shifu clapped a hand on Allen's back and grinned broadly. "Well, you're not working today."

"I'm not?" Allen responded with dripping sarcasm.

Neither of them got it. They never do, Allen smirked. Rikei circled his arm around Allen neck, the pair threatening to choke the short boy. Their smiles became wider, almost menacing. Allen rolled his eyes and looked away. Shifu let go and threw a jacket towards Allen. He deftly caught it and silently put it on. Rikei was whispering to Shifu, obviously talking about the impending 'investigation' – his shifty eyes told it all. He eventually turned back to Allen, and tossed him some car keys.

"We're going to a crime scene."

Half an hour later, Allen found himself wanting to crash the car just to get the two nutcases out of the back. The second hand Ford Fiesta shuddered with every gear change, causing Allen to sigh every time. He could only think of one reason to why these two were useful– to get away from Cross's rage when he sees the shop's counter without an employee behind it. Allen turned his head to glimpse at the pair. Shifu was furiously writing inside a notebook whilst Rikei poked some binoculars out of the open window.

Allen rolled his eyes, and asked, "So tell me Shifu –why am I driving _your_ car?"

The boy glanced up from his notes, then started writing again. Before Allen could feel too ignored, he spoke up.

"My car has all the equipment. Plus, it's unnoticeable, unlike your truck."

Allen nodded, and thought of another reason why these two were useful. If Lou Fa, or indeed anyone else who may have witnessed James's arrival or departure, were at _Anita's_ right now, he would rather not risk his truck being spotted as a criminal escape vehicle. Sighing for the umpteenth time, he turned the corner to park the Ford. Taking care not to slam the door, Allen walked away from the vehicle as quickly as possible. Truthfully, he wanted to visit the investigation anyway – a new reporter said that a case has been opened about these cons. He was intrigued to see his so-called opponents. What he didn't need was the hassle of two dunderhead 'detectives'. So, at the first opportunity, Allen ditched Rikei and Shifu and started walking around as a civilian.

And that was when he saw her.

She was talking to a plump man quite seriously, but started smiling eventually. Allen hid in the small alley, still surveying her. She was shorter than him, but wore low heeled shoes which gave her a better presence. No_, her presence comes from being with the police_, Allen corrected himself. She was not wearing a usual police uniform though – a professional looking skirt suit with a ruffle collared top, which was perfectly finished with a purple ribbon around her neck. Her long black-green hair was tied in two pigtails, which gave her a more childish look. _She looks almost teenage_, Allen thought, with such young features, _I wouldn't have guessed her a day over sixteen!_ He crept out of the shadows; something inside him was probing his mind. About this woman – something was connecting her to the case, in a way Allen didn't want.

Allen stopped just in time; otherwise he would have become one with the road. A sleek black Ferrari streaked past him, but not fast enough. Though the glass was tinted, Allen could vaguely visualise the driver inside. His eyes were narrowed and trained on Allen the whole way. The white-haired boy froze. _What the hell is he doing here?_ He panicked. Choosing to hide in the crowd of people that had formed, he tried to make sense of the last few seconds. Pressing a cool hand to his heated face, Allen thought, _Kanda Yuu, FBI's gem. If he's involved with this, then it just got a lot more serious. I researched as an officer to be wary of. He doesn't give a damn about people's rights, and yet he is the best on the force!_

Furtively, he tailed the Japanese man and tried to listen to the impending conversation between him and the woman. Luckily, they were talking loud enough for Allen to hear clearly. They introduced each other, Kanda albeit a little reluctantly. His mind calculated at every word: _that woman, Lenalee Lee, is the detective of this case? She barely looks older than I, is she that good?_ He tried to slip into the nearby crowd of nearby residents, but people had started to notice his constant appearances and disappearances. Allen was not worried about these people – it was not like they would make a connection from him to James Davidson, who was probably the prime suspect – but he was worried if the police spot him acting suspiciously.

After a few minutes of searching, Allen found Rikei and Shifu hiding in the bushes, still taking notes and looking through binoculars. He gave a very special eye roll to them and began to pull them towards the car. Without another word, he drove to the shop. He bade them farewell, and entered the shop through the side entrance. Thankfully, he saw Cross passed out on the sofa with a bottle of wine in his hand. _That would mean he hadn't noticed my absence_, Allen confirmed. It was past midday and Allen stomach was thoroughly protesting. Seeing as no customers had come in for the morning run, he happily treated himself to the toasted sandwiches. Hundreds of sandwiches vanished within minutes. Allen's phone vibrated as he was cleaning up the leftover crumbs and placing a 'Gone to Lunch' sign on the shop counter. It vibrated three more times before Allen took out the phone.

The display read 'Unknown number'. Allen looked perplexed – all his contacts were definitely saved on there. Who else would call him apart from Master Cross and a couple of friends? Nevertheless, Allen pressed the answer button.

"Hello?"

At first, nothing could be heard. Suddenly, there was a banging sound followed by a whimpering noise. He felt even more confused, and perhaps a little scared. That whimper…sounded like a terrified human. Allen almost jumped out of the skin when he heard a computer masked voice talking to him.

"Are you alone? Can anyone see you on the phone?"

Allen stood stock still. His hand started shaking unwillingly and his mouth had instantly gone dry. He gulped, attempting to soothe himself.

"Answer me!" the voice shouted harshly.

He snapped out of the trance and said, "Yes, I'm alone. May-may I know who is talking?"

Silence ensued once again. Allen's finger was hovering over the disconnect button, half thinking that the person had gone. But the voice came back – almost sneering, he said a few cold words that send a chill down Allen back.

"We have your uncle."

* * *

**Same day, 18:02 – Anita's (Scene of the Crime)**

After shaking hands with Kanda, Lenalee stepped through the police tape. With one of their comrades by her side, no more officers threw her dirty look. _Actually, they looked scared above anything else_, Lenalee smiled slightly. She looked towards Kanda, who was not paying attention to his surrounding whatsoever. His gaze was fixed outside – _I'm such an idiot_, Lenalee scolded herself. _Another colleague is supposed to join us otherwise this cannot continue_.

As if on cue, a motorbike announced his arrival. He man swerved to a halt skilfully, earning a few _oohs_ and _ahhs_ from the crowd. Lenalee giggled quietly at the colour choice; unlike the sober black and whites of the other bikes there, this one shone black and neon orange with pride. The engine stopped and the man took off his black helmet. Immediately, a mess of crimson hair flopped out. He flashed a grin and walked over. Lenalee noticed a black eye patch over his right eye and a curious green headband catching a few stray strands of hair.

"Che."

Lenalee turned at the sound and saw Kanda's face. He stared at the approaching man with defeat, as if to say working with him is a chore. His body language changed dramatically as well, she spotted. Instead of the cool, composed stature he had a few seconds ago, he had his arms crossed over his chest. It almost looked like he was sulking from the appearance of his colleague. The red haired man didn't seem to mind the behaviour, as he wrapped an arm around Kanda's shoulders with joyful abandon.

"Yuu! It's been a while since we've worked together! Did you miss me?" he said with glee.

Kanda impatiently elbowed his partner and growled, "Fuck off, Usagi. Or work – just don't fool around."

The man dubbed 'Usagi' just laughed the cruel comment off, but then seemed to notice Lenalee. He hopped over and took her hand. Lenalee cheeks heated up as he softened his emerald eyes and pierced them straight through her amethyst ones.

"Ah, you must be Lenalee. I'm Lavi, CIA's finest. If you need information on anything, and I mean anything, don't hesitate," Lavi said, with a touch of charisma flowing into the words.

Lenalee gave him a thin smile and answered, "Thank you so much for the offer. But please, try not flirt with me again. My brother might be, ah, less than pleased if you do."

Kanda raised an eyebrow at that, whilst Lavi seemed to sober up. He smiled again, but this time he looked determined. Lenalee felt her chances grow considerably. This case is mine, and it will be my best work, she thought.

"Okay, Kanda, Lavi," she said, "Let's start investigating."

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**Wha, that Lenalee section was so small o~O Man, I wanted it longer, but there was nothing else I could've said without giving way too much away or boring you...  
So, the case officially begins! And, Allen saw Lenalee for the first time, plus my major plot point has been introduced ^-^ I feel like I accomplished something… 2 days until Allen's birthday – I'll be updating on Saturday as well because of my special updates. So, until Saturday…reviews will be graciously accepted! I love all the reviewers so far, they say the sweetest things :D**


	7. Chapter 6: Roads Entwine

**Umm, so is the chapter title is a bit of a pun? Meh, it was intended. Real time and in Kanda's POV – enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

* * *

Chapter 6: Roads Entwine

**November 17****th**** 2010, 01:32 – Las Vegas**

Kanda tried to stay calm, he really did. But Lavi's constant playing with the radio dial drove him up the wall. Lenalee ended up bolting from the back seat to steady the wheel again as he repeatedly punched the stupid rabbit. Once he regained control over the car, Kanda peered through the rear view mirror at Allen. The wig and contacts were still in place, but his face showed no expression. His eyes were dull and a faint but automatic smile graced his lips. His gloved hands were playing with the silver mask unconsciously. Kanda has seen this many times – the dejection of a caught criminal.

"How much longer until the hotel, Kanda?" Lenalee asked.

Kanda shifted gears and answered, "About three minutes. Moyashi better not take too long getting his stuff."

There it was again. Absolute silence. 'Moyashi' was one name Allen could never stand. It had sparked too many arguments between them to count. But now, he just turned his head to the window and nodded in agreement. Kanda narrowed his eyes. _Che, I don't know what Lenalee has in mind_, he thought, _but it better end soon_.

He pulled up to the hotel's entrance and said, "You have five minutes. No more."

Lenalee and Allen nodded and climbed out of the car. Kanda crossed his arms and tilted back his head, eyes closed. And to think, he could have been resting comfortably at home, eating soba. However, he was too deeply involved in the original case that he couldn't say no to Lenalee's plea. _It's disgusting, though_, Kanda frowned_, how does she still love him after all that? I'll never attempt to know._

"Yuu," Lavi said, breaking the meditative sleep.

Kanda looked at the man. His eye was stony, like a true emerald gem and he stared at the moon, deep in thought. He reached and pulled his head band down, letting all his crimson hair fall to almost brush his shoulders. Kanda grunted; his way of asking what was on Lavi's mind.

"Allen left her," Lavi finally said, "He left her, and yet she's trying to help him. It's odd – that's what you were thinking, right?"

Kanda nodded. A smirk appeared on the redhead's face as he continued.

"Heh, I'll never try to figure out love, but I'm pretty good at figuring out people. Allen still thinks he's been caught. It's as if whatever happened last year never existed. I mean, you'd think that he'd act a little warmer. Is there something he knows that's scaring him?"

The Japanese man's eyes widened. Something he knows? Could it be about the Noah? He wondered. The five minutes passed faster than expected, and Allen fitted his suitcase along with the others. Lenalee decided that they should eat now at the nearby restaurant. Normally, Allen would have jumped and run ahead at the mere mention of food. Instead, he trudged along tiredly with the rest. Kanda's eye twitched at his lack of energy; his annoyance had just upped a level.

Ordering took a while, since Allen started running off a huge list of dishes. Lavi had to constantly remind him that he's paying for everyone. Kanda gave a small smirk – _revenge is sweet. You mess with my car; you pay the bills, Usagi. _The plastic smile was back again on Allen's face. Kanda frowned deeper as he finally started to talk. Lenalee asked him about what he had been doing, but he quickly changed the subject to the wonderful variety of food in Las Vegas. He saw what she was doing. She was starting an interrogation, but it is said that to start one between friends, it must be taken slowly. Lenalee had learnt a lot by now, with her title as 'Senior Detective' as evidence.

"Please excuse me," Allen said softly, "I'll be back soon."

"Are you going to the restroom, Moyashi-chan?" Lavi asked.

"My name is Allen. And yes - I'll come back before you know it," Allen responded, shifting his eyes to the left.

That was the only sign Kanda needed. A shift to the left, Kanda thought as he silently excused himself. _A sign of a liar – he's going to make a break for it, stupid little shit!_ Allen caught the movement and started walking faster. But Kanda's longer legs proved more effective, and he roughly slammed Allen against the wall. He stared fiercely into those blue contacts, keeping a firm hand on Allen's shoulder. The younger man squirmed for a bit, but eventually tired himself out. He spoke in a fatigued voice, as if he had had enough.

"What else do you expect me to do? It's all well and good that you waltz in and say 'we're going to help you'! But the fact of the matter is that you can't No one can. You were my ticket to get out of that AKUMA infested place, nothing more. Now, care to explain why Lenalee broke her promise?"

By that time, Kanda's hands were shaking in anger. He grabbed the scruff of Allen's coat for the second time that night, and glared at him with icy eyes. He still looked bored – bored with the little game that he was being forced to play. The police officer spat every word at him with barely restrained anger.

"First of all; get it in your thick head, baka Moyashi – we are not here to arrest you. Don't you dare say that Lenalee's broken that promise, you don't know what you've put her through! I'm not like her 'cause I don't care about shitty little law breakers like you. But because I was involved, and because she asked me, I am here to help her. Did you know, when you left her like that, you broke her? She had to lie to her superiors and pretend like she didn't know you and that everything we did for you never happened. She had to work twice as hard just to get that title just because she didn't bring you in. So, if you have the nerve to go and break her again like this, then I swear to God that I will break every bone in your body."

Kanda paused, aware of the fact that his voice had started to rise. The corridor was quite private, though some kitchen staff were giving some funny looks. Allen gently but steadily brushed off Kanda's hand. He stood straight and took off his contacts. Once his eyes were back to a cloudy gray, he gave the other man a sorrowful look. A multitude of emotions were conveyed in that one stare; pain, misery, guilt and bitterness being a few. He merely nodded and started walking back. Kanda stayed behind him, determined not to give him an escape route. _But he seems to have learned_, he thought.

"Just one thing," Allen whispered just before reaching the table, "As soon as I think you will be no more help, I will go by any means necessary."

Kanda nodded curtly. _Stubborn punk_, he thought viciously.

"Man, you guys took a long time! I mean the food's here already," Lavi exclaimed.

He caught them whispering to each other, and said in amazement, "Did you two have a civilised conversation?"

Kanda gave his signature answer, "Che."

Gone was the meal in a couple of minutes, thanks to the endless vacuum known as Allen's stomach. Lavi really got down on his knees and begged for a discount when the bill came. In the end, he was dragged out of the store by an apologetic Allen and a slightly annoyed Lenalee. Kanda walked ahead, locating his car. They all climbed in, and finally started the journey to Los Angeles. He finally gave in to the Usagi's wishes. As they blazed towards the highway, the car was rocked by Top 40 songs. Allen looked considerably happier. Kanda smirked – even though they fight almost every second, he still listens to every word and heeds them.

"I'm sorry, everyone," Allen suddenly said, "Especially you Lenalee. So much has happened, so can we just slow down and start over?"

Lenalee hugged him warmly and murmured a yes. Lavi reached back and gave him a knuckle touch. Kanda just narrowed his eyes through the rear view mirror. So they had reached an agreement, but this was far from over. The radio finally did something useful, in Kanda's opinion, and informed them of heavy traffic from Las Vegas to LA. Thankfully, he started to head into a desert road, navigating through a sparsely populated track. He frowned every time the Ferrari's wheels hit a stray rock – it was a sports car, not made for cracked bumpy trails.

"So, Moyashi," Kanda started, pleased to see a glare from the boy at the sound of that offensive name.

"What?"

Kanda turned his head slightly for full eye contact. "What else do we not know yet, that you do?"

Allen smiled and opened his mouth. Instantly, he looked up and the smile slipped off.

"That," he pointed.

Kanda followed Allen's line of vision, and yelled, "Shit!"

He put his full force on the brakes, and could feel the car shudder underneath the pressure. Fortunately, the Ferrari stopped before it could hit the cars that blocked the road. Once the car was stable again, he stopped the engine. Before he could get out and possibly pummel the intruders within an inch of their life, he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Lenalee's, and it was shaking violently. He looked at the intruders with more intent. Kanda smothered a very out of character gasp.

One car blocked the path, with one girl sitting on the bonnet. Even though it was night, she had a peculiar umbrella hanging from the crook of her elbow. She got up, and walked into full view of the headlights. Fiddling with the long sleeve of her ruffled shirt, she gave the widest grin Kanda had ever seen. Kanda muttered to the occupants of the car to get out. Once they had, she gave a small wave to Allen. He stood stock still, mortified. _This was far from over_, Kanda thought with exasperation. _Because it has barely begun_. The girl began spinning the umbrella and spoke in the most childish voice.

"Now, now," Road Kamelot, the prized Noah said, "What are you doing with _my_ toy, Allen Walker?"

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**I have fully celebrated Allen's birthday in the way I wanted to! ^-^ Reviews are the ultimate Christmas present, so spoil me with them!**

**Have a very merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!**


	8. Chapter 7: Xuè Shuǐjīng

**Happy (belated) New Year! I had a great Christmas break, and now it's time for school. I'll try and stick to the Thursday updating, but check my profile or the last chapter if I fail to. **

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 7: Xuè Shuǐjīng

**February 19****th**** 2009, 16:42 – Allen's House**

A cold sweat hung on Allen's forehead. The caller had long since hung up, but he was still rooted to the spot. The last few words of their conversation buzzed around his head, resonating eerily:

"_An e-mail will be sent to you with the details at 7:30pm sharp. Don't reply to it, just fulfil the ransom. You do know that if you fail to comply, or notify the police, everyone that you know and love will be killed. But don't worry; you will also join them in death, so they won't feel lonely. Understand, boy?"_

"_Y-yes. I'll do it."_

"_Good."_

This man knew. He knew what Allen could do, and now he wanted to exploit that. Allen yelped at the sound of a crash in the living room. He rushed towards the noise, petrified with the thought that these people had found where he had lived. But no, it was only a drunken Cross rudely awakened by fallen off the sofa. Allen assumed a calm but disappointed mask as he rolled his eyes and attempted to help his guardian up. The man batted his hand away impatiently and got up. After dusting off his expensive suit, he gave Allen a once over. For one heart stopping moment, it seemed as if Master Cross had seen through Allen's perfect mask.

"Your lunch break should be over, go back," he said finally, slurring slightly.

Some of the heavy tension eased off Allen's shoulders. He gave a lukewarm smile and headed back to the shop. He unconsciously traced the strange golem like creature logo on the counter, which was supposedly the original Timcanpy. Before Master Cross had entered the food service industry, he was an inventor for _Innocence Corporation_. At that time, he had made a small robotic recording device, complete with small golden wings, and named it Timcanpy. But the idea was scrapped when it came to the final check. Allen's mind drifted further, trying to block out the unpleasant events prior to now. He had heard, in one of Master drunken rants no doubt, that he used to be a more focused man. He would talk to the owner a lot, sharing a mug of coffee or two and discussing innovative schemes. But after a while, the owner started taking a back seat. He was practically demoted to Cross's level, left to make useless toys that would eventually be thrown away. His financial advisor promised that with his tighter leash on the company, they would ride through the recession in style.

Allen grimaced as he thought about what happened next. Cross kept quiet about why he left, but Allen had his resources. He had hacked into the company's data logs a few years ago, to see if there was anything worth stealing. But his attention was caught by an inspector's report that seemed to mention the name 'Cross Marian' a couple of time. A man called Howard Link rambled on about fallen sales, but then announced that one of their inventors was acting up. He was spotted in a drunken slump outside, yelling obscenities and other things. Two workers had removed him from the scene and took him home. The drunken tirades grew more and more frequent, so on one sober day, he left. With the only model of Timcanpy is his hand, he just vanished with the wind.

But it wasn't as if he was a loner. Besides the owner, whose name had escaped Allen's mind, he had two close friends. It was those two who took him home and cleaned up his alcohol induced vomit. It was those two who kept him a fraction sane day in, day out. And it was those two who packed their bags and left on the day Cross had. Allen remembered with a jolt, and the terror seeped back slowly.

Those two were Mana and Neah Walker. The only family Allen had ever known of and cherished.

Strictly speaking, Allen had never known Neah. Ever since the two brothers left Innocence Corp, they had parted ways. Mana became a clown and Neah a musician. The first time he had ever learned of Neah's existence was on that fateful day. Mana had just inserted the CD labelled _'The 14th: Greatest Hits'_ and the car filled with tranquil yet melancholy piano. He remembered being awe-struck by the sound, and asked who was playing. Every crease line on his foster father's face was etched into his memory as Mana had smiled and said "my brother, Neah". Allen's palms had gone sweaty and his head reeled with the vivid pictures. And all of it brought him back to the man holding this musician hostage.

A couple of customers came and went and Allen served with a smile throughout. But his heart was teetering at the edge of a cliff, and as soon as 7:30 came, it fell off. He ran up the stairs two at a time and skidded into his room. Throwing his apron off, he switched on his computer and paced the room to wait. The screen bade him 'Welcome' and a message notification popped up immediately. Biting his fingers, Allen scanned the e-mail. He didn't trust his eyes and found himself reading it several times. This was far beyond anything he had ever done. If his past criminal actions were going to put him in jail, this one threatened him with capital punishment. He wiped the few beads of sweat off his brow, and closed his eyes to ponder. _It can't be helped. I'll have to do this. It's frustrating that a little talent that I use to scrape in money is now being used by real criminals._ For the last time, Allen read the e-mail. There was a sinister charismatic style to the writing, almost as if the writer was speaking the words.

_Dear Allen Walker the Con-artist,_

_Yes, we know who you are. We are so rude not to introduce ourselves – I am known as Lord Tyki Mikk. I had the pleasure of speaking to you over the phone. I am a Noah of the group AKUMA, which you've no doubt have heard of. Now, pertaining to your uncle, the 14th – you know that we have him in our clutches and now we're offering an exchange._

_You see, we have had our eyes on the Xuè Shu__ǐ__jīng red diamond for a while now. Its existence has been kept secret since it is an heirloom to a family, but we have our intelligence scattered nationwide. Unfortunately boy, we can't tell you where it is and how to get it. B__ut as a con-artist, I suspect you like a challenge. Even our most skilled members could not break it out._

_So, in a few concise words: Locate and seize this diamond. You have until the end of April of this year. Make sure no one, especially the police, know about his deal – you know the consequences if they do. Just to press the point so that you don't forget; if you fail to secure this diamond, or refuse to give it, then the 14th dies. And so does everyone else, ending with you. If you're wondering how we would find all of them boy, don't fret. Like I said, we have our intelligence._

_Don't be late,_

_Lord Tyki Mikk_  
_Noah, AKUMA_

_DO NOT REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL. FAILURE TO AGREE TO THESE TERMS WILL MEAN A VISIT FROM A NOAH OR THE MILLENNIUM EARL HIMSELF – Lero_

_That's it_, Allen thought. _I need to find the _Xuè Shuǐjīng_ diamond_.

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**Same day, 18:50 – Anita's (Scene of the Crime)**

If it wasn't one thing, it was another. It seemed that Lenalee's two colleagues didn't get on whatsoever. No, that wasn't the best way to describe it – Lavi obviously thought highly of his 'friendship' with Kanda, whilst the FBI officer was having none of it. She rubbed her temple, wondering what to do with the boys. She had gotten plenty of experience of handling her brother when he started encroaching on her private space, but she was unsure that the same discipline would work on two men she'd met an hour ago. At least the other officers were working hard, looking for fingerprints around the infiltrated safe. Lenalee turned her back on Lavi and Kanda and spotted another officer walking towards her. He looked irritated and constantly rubbed his neck. _No doubt he's annoyed about having to answer to a private detective from the Black Order_, Lenalee mused.

"The witness has arrived," he said, "You and your colleagues should go and interview her now."

Lenalee dipped her head in thanks, and looked behind her. Thankfully, the men had heard the news and had gotten serious again. They started walking together down the corridor towards Miss. Anita's private room. Kanda walked about a metre in front of her and Lavi, taking long and fast strides. Her red headed companion dropped his hands that were clasped at the back of his head to his sides, pulling his headband down in the process. With his casual teal shirt and white pants, no one would take him seriously as a CIA employee. But his track record is almost famous – he was the grandson of the legendary Mr. Bookman, whose intelligence gathering led to more criminals behind bars, single handily lowering the crime rate. When he retired, Lavi was there to hold the Bookman reputation. At twenty-three, Lenalee's age, he was working on the top mafia cases with elite detectives. Lenalee wondered if this case, with a rookie in command, has fallen short of his expectations.

Kanda, on the other hand, was talked about in three ways – in fear of him, in respect of him or in hatred of him. With a sharp tongue and an even sharper aim, he was the FBI's most celebrated and most despised. Like Lavi, he had family ties in the force; his foster father, Froi Tiedoll, worked as the sketch artist. With no aim to replace him as that when Tiedoll retired, he focused his energy into becoming a fully fledged officer. Rumours and speculation about one of his foster brothers dying being a strong incentive for Kanda's want for strength drifted through every force. But if Kanda had ever heard these, he never showed it. Lenalee was still in deep thought about Kanda's career when she saw that he had halted in front of the door. Before entering, he pierced his stern dark eyes into her and Lavi.

"Let me get this straight before we start this – I will not be your bodyguard figure just my aim's better than the Usagi's. I will not do anything that I find unnecessary, and that includes any orders. And don't expect me to save you if any fighting ensues. I will leave you if that means the completion of this case," he said, almost bored.

Lavi just shrugged at it, but Lenalee felt taken aback. She knew of his unusually harsh behaviour, but that was cold even for him. Nevertheless, she composed herself and entered. Besides the ever resplendent Anita was a snivelling girl wearing glasses, maybe slightly younger than Lenalee. The club owner patter her hand rhythmically, soothing her. Lenalee sat herself down in front of the girl and smiled gently. Lavi sat next to the detective and whipped out a small notebook out of his pocket. Kanda leaned against the chair, staring out of the window with a frown. Anita whispered a few words of welcome, and Lenalee asked about the items that got stolen. The club owner opened her hand and two hair clasps fell onto the coffee table separating them.

"They looked exactly like these," she explained, "_Exactly_. I'm telling you it was that new pianist we had hired who did it."

"Who was this pianist?" Lenalee asked.

As Anita explained who James Davidson was, Lenalee watched Lavi scribble the details down out of the corner of her eye. He was writing immensely fast and surprisingly caught every word she said. After she had spoken, the detective turned her attention to the glasses girl.

"So what is you name?" she asked with a smile.

The girl winced at that motion. "You smile just like he did. All soft and sweet, but hiding your true intention. And he was so handsome as well. Reminded me of a boy in university I liked, but they both so different. I cried for so long after this, my heart ached so much…"

Kanda spoke for the first time in a while. "She asked for your name, not your mental condition."

That snapped the girl out of her lament. She fixed her glasses and said, "My name is Lou Fa. I was working here on the night and saw James just before he stole them."

Lenalee listened patiently to the entire deception. It was a perfection seduction, capturing the female mind at its weakest and using it to his advantage. _How sick_, Lenalee thought, disgusted. _Does he have no respect for women? _Lou Fa ended her account and fell silent. Her eyes were red rimmed, showing the extent of the damage he had done to the innocent girl.

Lavi decided to ask something. "You know, I looked through the employee file of this James guy, and I have a feeling he doesn't exist."

Anita tilted her head in confusion and asked, "How did you work that out?"

"The address given said that he lived on 1756 Maple Drive. The thing is, there _is_ no 1756 Maple Drive; it ends at 1754. If he was lying about his location, then his whole personal is probably a lie."

Her body went rigid with shock. Those lotus eyes which were so calm until now widened dramatically. Now it was Lou Fa's turn to pat Anita's hand, speaking soft words of consolation. Lenalee stored this information in her mind whilst silently praising Lavi's intuitive nature. They discussed the possibility of getting the stolen goods back, which was very low indeed. _He had probably sold them off by now_, she thought. Shaking their hands and promising that this man will be captured, Lenalee said farewell, flanked by Kanda and Lavi. The three swapped numbers to stay in touch, and parted way respectively. Tapp's car waited behind Kanda's Ferrari at the traffic lights. It changed, but two cars ahead of them, the driver was clearly a slow and nervous one. She drummed her fingers on the armrest, impatient for this car to speed up. But she quickly learnt who was more impatient that her.

"Oi, in front! Get on with it, my stupid old man can drive faster than this! Or get off the bloody road, you fucking disgrace to driving! Che,_ usero, baka!_" Kanda's muffled shouting emanated through the air.

Lenalee blushed at the last Japanese words, knowing they translate to "Fuck off, idiot!". After they turned away from the foul mouthed man, the rest of the journey was fairly uneventful. Since it was already quite late, she asked Tapp to drop her at home. Komui was waiting outside with his characteristic mug of coffee. Once inside, he handed her some tea and biscuits and asked about her day. She told him everything that she had gathered from the witness interviews and how the reports of no fingerprints found on the safe unnerved her. Never mind calling him a professional con-artist, he was elite. Even pros leave fingerprints from time to time, but in every investigation, any DNA tracings have turned cold. She took another bite of the biscuit and waited for her brother's response.

"So, how are your FBI and CIA colleagues?"

She groaned. This was obviously the more pressing question he had about the case.

"They're fine. Both of them are complete gentlemen."

"Are you sure? I mean, you're partnered with Kanda Yuu…"

"He stays silent most of the time. Or tortures Lavi – either way, he acts fine towards me."

Komui looked relieved. He was – Lenalee giggled at the thought of what he would do if they hadn't treated her well. But the relief didn't stay for long, and Lenalee frowned at the sudden change in emotion. He started fidgeting with his hands, and looking around uncertainly. Finally, he leaned forward on the sofa.

"There's no beating about the bush. Toma the Finder tipped me off – AKUMA is involved with this case. And if they are, then that means the Millennium Earl will be pulling some strings on the upcoming events. Your life may be in danger, Lenalee."

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**Okay, Allen's been given a dangerous task and Lenalee learns more about her colleagues and the risks linked to this case. Actually, the whole Innocence Corp. plot line was a total improvisation, because I was getting stuck on what to write – but then I gave it significance, which you will learn later on. 8 days till my birthday ^-^ I might update a second time for that. Thoughts on this chapter will be great to see, and also could you tell me if I can deliver the right emotions in my writing? This story will be based on a lot of strong emotions, and if I can't write it, then the story will fail…so I need my audience to spill the beans! Oh, and the whole Maple Drive thing – I've never been to LA, or seen LA maps, so forgive me if my information doesn't correlate to real life.**

**The name of the diamond, **_**Xuè Shu**__**ǐ**__**jīng, **_**means 'Blood Crystal'. I was thinking about DGM and anything that could become a good name…I've probably given away my plot twist now, haven't I?**


	9. Chapter 8: Torture

**Real time chapter - and Road's appearance really caused a disturbance to the group's plans. This chapter was a bit strange for me to write as I'm not that great at 'sadistic, Allen-loving girl'. **

**I now have a Beta Reader! Say hello! ^-^**

**[Hello Tsuki Yume. I am very pleased with your writing so far. I was worried that you'd be sending me work that was riddled with seemingly never ending mistakes- like run-ons, a lack of punctuation, etc.- because I've had corrected fics that are like that from beginning to end. Anyhow, the story seems interesting and I'm very interested to read the rest. I'm very pleased with your grammar and spelling. I like that you are using a good variety of adjectives and not the same ones over and over again. **

**~Lai Jun Chen]**

**It's in Lenalee's POV, so enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 8: Torture

**November 17****th**** 2010, 02:57 – On a desert road**

"Road Kamelot," Lenalee whispered, biting her lip so hard that she drew blood.

A sideways glance to Allen showed that he was in a similar state of mind. He must have staggered slightly because Lavi was now supporting him by the elbow. Kanda stood still and stoic, as if the situation was not really that bad. Just his right hand twitched furtively, itching to grab Mugen and shoot a hole through that dark, twisted girl. Road giggled, thoroughly enjoying their reactions to her appearance.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Lenalee-chan?" Road started, adding a slight sing-song to Lenalee's name, "Still in love with criminal trash?"

Lenalee pursed her lips, suppressing the will to shout or scream. Road, the heir to the Noah's fortune, had trained herself to tear apart the human psyche and reassemble it to her own liking. Not one FBI, CIA or even Black Order detective or spy had survived her mental assaults. Lenalee shuddered as she thought of Kevin Yeegar – such a soft, gentle man, but found chained to a tree with a knife through him. He was singing endlessly about the Millennium Earl, proof of his psychological mutilation. She couldn't forget his manic face as he died in front of her in hospital.

The Noah walked around the group, looking like a predator sizing up her prey. Twirling the umbrella, she continued, "And Kanda, looks like you still haven't learned your lesson from your face-off with Skinn."

"Bookman Jr.," she next walked to Lavi, "I enjoyed our game last time. Too bad we can't continue with it, what with the orders the Earl gave me."

Lavi narrowed his eye and responded with a growl, "I don't see why you're being so cocky, Road. There's only one of you and four of us. Even with your agility, we'd have you in chains in no time."

Lenalee caught on and added, "I can't believe that the Earl would send the heiress out without back up, alone. That is just fool...ish?"

She faltered with her words when Road started cackling maniacally. She wiped the tears of mirth and clicked her fingers. Suddenly, it looked like the shadows were moving. In a flash, hands restrained Lenalee, one twisting her wrists together and one fastened over her mouth. She struggled violently against the blindfold that the shadows were attempting to fold over her. With one last scathing glare, she saw that Road's expression dropped to serious, a sinister aura emanating from her. Her hazel eyes flashed at her, and after that was darkness. Several thumps, and to Lenalee's terror, screams of pain could be heard. She felt herself being loaded into a vehicle roughly, bruising her legs.

"I'm never alone," Road whispered in her ear before the vehicle screeched into the night.

It seemed that they were confined in a small van, barely big enough for the four of them. Judging from the different noises, Lenalee could tell where everyone was; Moaning about being hit on the head was Lavi on the left, the low string of the most colourful profanity was Kanda on the right. And the absence of sound was Allen, who was tossed right on top of her. She wondered absent-mindedly whether the youth would be blushing from their proximity, but quickly shook the thoughts out of her head. _This is no time to think of things like that_, she told herself. _Work this out, Lenalee. Obviously, the AKUMA in the casino contacted the Noah closest to our location, and that was Road. They've now abducted us and are taking us to God knows where. To our deaths? No, it's must for something else. What did she mean when she called Allen her 'toy'?_

She remembered suddenly; she was supposed to call Komui before midnight. It was well past 1am now, so he must be worried sick. Or even worse – he may be coming to join them at their final destination. The journey was short, so it distracted Lenalee from such stomach churning thoughts. She was hauled out with the others and made to walk. Contrary to the drive, the walk seemed to take hours on end, but they finally stopped. After a quick exchange of words from their captors, and Kanda's grunt of pain when someone aimed a punch at him, they entered what Lenalee presumed was a building.

"Enjoy your stay lady!" the one spat at her, laughing as he pushed onto the cold stone floor.

She was dragged to a wall, and could feel someone clamping handcuffs that made her hands rest above her head. The blindfold was whipped away from her face, and she gasped in shock. She saw her comrades strung up the same way, blindfold removed, each sporting unique wounds. A knife slash was gently dripping blood from Lavi cheek, his neck already purple from bruises. Kanda's hair tie had snapped, and masses of raven hair spilling over his face; but it could not cover the nasty cut running parallel to his neck. Allen, the only conscious one, smiled bitterly through his bloodstained bangs. Tears rolled down his cheeks, reflecting Lenalee's own crying. The muted blending of red and gray of the prison accentuated every injury and marks of fatigue. _This was not intended_, she thought, _but then again, it was bound to happen. That's what you get when your life is entwined with such people. AKUMA are truly despicable._

"The Lord Millennium is in search of you…" the young voice singing the repulsive song inched closer.

Road stepped in and surveyed the room. She sat herself down and gave an inhumanely big grin. It marred her beautifully dangerous face, making her look more demon than human. Her pristine white shirt shone in the murky lighting. She turned to Lenalee, who immediately became wary. She narrowed her eyes further as the Noah started laughing again. Minutes of tense silence passed, threatening to swallow up their existence. Lenalee grew even more concerned for her knocked out friends; they were showing no signs of stirring. She was still in disbelief that even Kanda was brought down so easily, all because of a surprise attack. His quick reflexes just weren't quick enough; the evidence being the gun that Road was now weaving in her fingers carelessly. She dropped it abruptly and kicked it away, the metal object landing tantalizingly out of Kanda's reach.

After the echoes of the action died, Road spoke, "Do you know what my Dark Matter ability is, Lenalee-chan?"

Lenalee shook her head, unwilling to look in her piercing yellow eyes. Obviously not pleased with the lack of eye contact, Road stepped over and forced the detective to look at her. She giggled at the fierce amethyst that met her gaze.

"Every Noah has Dark Matter ability, taught by the Lord Millennium himself. They can be anything; violent like Skinn's 'Lightning' or sly like Tyki's 'Choice'. Mine is the ability of 'Dreams'. I can rip you piece by piece, without even laying a finger on you," Road whispered, her voice still filling the room.

Lenalee thrashed weakly as Road stroked her cheek.

"Shall we start with you?"

She swiftly walked to the other side and unshackled Allen. He lay limp in her arms, murmuring words that Lenalee could not decipher. Road dragged him to the middle and lowered herself down again. She tenderly ran her fingers through his white hair, blemished by the sanguinary liquid. Allen tried to move, but his effort was futile. He was short of strength and Road kept an iron grip around his arm. She put her head to his chest, looking like she was savouring his every heartbeat. Lenalee's eyes widened – now she understood. She understood how the girl wanted to break her. She seemed to sense that thought, and smiled sadistically. In one fluid movement, Road dipped Allen's chin and pressed her lips to his. Lenalee gasped as a shard of ice hit her heart with full force. She maintained the kiss for an inexplicably long amount of time, and both were breathless when she broke it.

She removed the shredded tuxedo jacket and plunged for a deeper kiss. Allen pushed her, trying with the last dregs of his energy to stop this. Road pushed him down and straddled his hips, kissing his neck. Lenalee's tears fell hot against her face, her limbs numb. She continued to molest the white hair man, and every kiss, touch and moan was like a knife plunging into the detective's body. Never mind all the pain from before – it was truly torture.

"Stop it! I'll give you anything, Road! Please, just stop!" Lenalee finally screamed.

The younger girl looked up innocently, and asked, "Just what exactly are you offering?"

She exhaled, and calmed herself down. _Think_, she ordered herself, _what can I offer? I don't want to see Allen like this and I don't want to feel this way ever again. What can I do? _It clicked. Lenalee looked Road straight in the eyes, determined to barter back her love.

"I'll give you information. As the supervisor's sister, I know more than any other detective or spy. Is that a deal – Allen for my information?" she said in a clear tone.

The look of euphoria and disappointment was mingled so well on Road's face, which she would have laughed at if not for the situation. At once, the Noah re-chained Allen and strode towards Lenalee. She pouted and started tapped her foot, looking like a girl who was told that she wasn't getting her allowance.

"You couldn't have let me have a bit more fun, Lenalee-chan?" she said, "Oh well, Lord Millennium did say that I was only allowed to play with him until you offered up information. We'll be back to take you to him later. And remember – honesty is the best policy, so no false information!"

And with a wink, Road Kamelot left as quickly as she came. As soon as the door closed, Lenalee called Allen's name. It took a few tries, but he eventually responded. There was that smile again. Apologetic this time, almost making it look like that wasn't a big deal. But his eyes told a different tale. The gray swam with emotion, bearing how viciously he had been hurt. The torture may have been intended for Lenalee, but it had torn an already fragile boy as well. She smiled back to him, a signal that endeavoured to tell him everything without words. He nodded, apparently registering the message. At that moment, the other two groaned awake. Kanda spat out some blood in his mouth, whilst Lavi just documented the room with his all recording eye – he was looking for an escape.

"Lavi," Lenalee croaked, "Do you see any way out?"

The redhead shook his head and replied, "Sorry, Lena. This room's been too well constructed. The only way out is through the door."

Without warning, he broke into a cheeky grin, unfortunately opening the slash wound again. Kanda threw a questioning look that silently conveyed the message 'What the hell are you smiling about?'. Even in the stressed state of affairs, Lenalee felt slightly more uplifted. To see Lavi being able to smile, and to watch Kanda gain back his cold energy was spiritually cleansing for her. It always was, throughout everything they had gone through. It was just Allen left wrecked, who didn't even bother to look at the other men. He stared at the corner with broken eyes, the shade like tainted quicksilver.

Lavi decided to explain, "'Kay, guys, don't freak out just 'cause I'm smilin' at the weirdest time. What you guys forget is that I work for the CIA."

"We've not forgotten, Usagi," Kanda whispered intensely, "Unlike you, our brains are normal sized; apart from Moyashi's anyway."

"Wait, Yuu, I've not finished talking!"

"Don't call me by my first name!"

"Guys!" Lenalee yelled, "Come on, calm down. Lavi, what were you saying?"

Pleased that the attention was back on him, Lavi said smugly, "See, Lenalee and I had been plannin' this Moyashi-chan heist for a while now. Ever since Daisya's info came in, that casino was our target. Anticipating a Noah assault, I had Bookman rig my suit."

He wriggled slightly, and revealed a microchip attached to the inside of his jacket. Now even Lenalee was smiling. She got it now – that chip must be traceable, and knowing how Lavi works…

"It's also got a tiny microphone. Say hello to the old panda! "

_I knew it_, she celebrated. _My friends are the best_.

Lavi's grin lost a few notches and he went on to say, "But this chip only works one way, so I'm not sure how quickly he'll come. We need to get outta here soon as well. Let's not forget the original mission."

At that, Allen perked up. "Original mission? I thought that was to get me."

Kanda scowled and retorted, "Don't be so arrogant, Moyashi. The world doesn't revolve around you. We're getting back something that was precious to her."

The white haired youth opened his mouth to argue, but then decided against it. Kanda smirked, knowing that it was a win for him. He then spotted Mugen, laying a stone's throw away from his foot. With great difficulty, he managed to inch it closer. The smirk became more frightening, his dark eyes lit with fire. Lenalee picked up his thoughts, and her resolve grew even larger.

"Bring it on, AKUMA," she said, "because we're not going down without a fight."

* * *

**Did I end this right? It was a peculiar chapter to write for me anyway, and I didn't want them captured for too long. It's my birthday in 2 days now – I won't be doing a chapter on my birthday (regretfully, because I love writing for you guys!) because I don't have enough time. Reviews will be nice as a birthday present… xD**

**[ I think the ending was perfect. The chapter wound down nicely and the last line gives the reader a prompt for the next chapter. Now the reader can think 'Ooh, a fight scene is in the next chapter and I can't wait to see how they escape/what happens/who dies!' -Or something along those lines. So, good job! I eagerly await the next chapter so send it as soon as you have it all typed up. And happy birthday, doll! Have fun! Eat cake and all that jazz. Ta!**

**~Lai Jun Chen]**


	10. Chapter 9: Collision Course

**Flashback chapter now – Well, read it. For some reason, I've not got as much to say as I normally do. What about you, Lai Jun Chen-san?**

**Hello Tsuki Yume- san, **

**[There's not a lot to say on my end either, I suppose. This chapter was great. I saw hardly any mistakes at all, which always makes me happy. Really, this chapter was nearly perfect just the way you sent it to me. I didn't do much more than change commas- there were a few too many, but nothing that was too noticeable or that would do much to the chapter as a whole. I'm sorry it took me a bit longer to get this back to you than it should've. It really was a breeze to read and edit. I appreciate that you did in fact try not to repeat mistakes that I pointed out in the last chapter- a lot of people don't bother and I am glad that you took the time to do so. Keep up the good work! Until next time,**

**Lai Jun Chen]**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 9: Collision Course

**February 20****th**** 2009, 06:34 – Allen's House**

The sun set, and rose again – and Allen hadn't moved an inch from the computer. His fingers flew over the keyboard, constant in speed and desperation. Itching to be one step ahead of the twisted game he was forced to play, Allen thought that it would be best to research the target. His previous experiences in the trade of conning had moulded a routine into him – pick the target, research it, time it, and take it. It had never failed him so his confidence remained. After all, even if it was concerning a rarity such as the _Xuè Shu__ǐ__jīng_ red diamond, why should the method fail now?

Nothing. He found absolutely nothing on that bloody diamond.

Sighing miserably, Allen leaned back in his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to quell the headache that was threatening to flare. Insomnia never did help him and with the added pressure of rescuing his uncle he felt thoroughly fatigued. The only thing that was stopping him from breaking down into tears was the threat of Cross waking up. Sure enough, his guardian knew about Allen's various scams. But it paid for his wine and cigarettes so, to him, it was just another way to find easy money. Rubbing his dark rimmed eyes, he got up and wearily got dressed.

Allen never thought that he, of all people, would think this – but holidays were the worst. A vicious cycle of work and sleep ensued, occasionally broken by a criminal escapade or an errand to run for Master Cross. It was made even worse by a slow day and Allen was forced to hang around delicious toasted sandwiches without touching them. Thoughts buzzed around in his head as he leaned against the counter, putting a sign reading '_Away'_ on it, when he was clearly there. As if playing a game of poker Allen looked at his different cards carefully, trying to assess the best hand to play. Currently, lady luck was not on his side.

_I don't know what kind of sick entertainment this will give to AKUMA_, he thought, _but I don't intend to become their puppet. How the hell did they even kidnap Uncle Neah, and why? To get the diamond? You'd think with their range of spies and thieves, one of them would have succeeded. Now this Noah lord tells me that none of them have been able to locate it, never mind steal it. Why is their alternative a twenty-two year old con-artist? Well, it's not like I have much of a choice here; if I don't get it by the end of April, Neah and everyone will die. It's February 20th. I've not got time to dawdle._

Allen placed a cool hand on his forehead, still pondering – _And I thought it couldn't get worse. In addition to this stupid ransom, I have the police after me. Not just any old police either; Kanda Yuu, the devil incarnate. What harm have I done to deserve this? Is bettering my life that sinful? I didn't get to see the CIA guy, but if they're employing the best for this, it should be Lavi Bookman. Eyes like a camera, mind like a computer. He'll probably have information on me that even I don't!_

_And that woman,_ Allen's heart fluttered strangely as his musing brought him to her, _what was her name? I'll remember later. She looked my age, so she must be a rookie. Rookies make mistakes, and so will she. If she wasn't being flanked by those two, I would've led her astray easily. But, there's something about her…_

"Umm, excuse me?"

Allen turned sharply, surprised to hear another voice. Before he could apologize, the white haired youth's mouth gaped. The spark of recognition registered in his mind, turning the rude surprise into pleasant incredulity. He fitted a smile in place, the perfect expression for a friend he had not seen for many moons.

"Maria?" He said, still not believing his eyes.

Maria's hair had changed again, Allen noted. The long curtain of tawny locks had vanished, and in its place was a cute russet bob, curled to perfection. She still looked resplendent in a simple black jacket, covering a cropped sunset red shirt, dotted with roses. Her designer jeans brushed the ankle of her high heeled boots, making the already tall woman more imposing. She took Allen's hand into her own gloved ones and shook it gently.

"Allen Walker, is that you? My, you've grown since I last saw you!" she said.

Allen's pride swelled and he felt good that at least _someone_ said that he had grown. He led Maria to the sitting room, hoping and praying that Cross wasn't drunk again. He glanced at the time – 6:47pm. It was a mystery where that day had gone; he was so lost in thought for a good part of it. His prayers were evidently heard, because there was no tipsy Cross snoring on the sofa. Allen was taken aback at the sight of his guardian in a full suit, complete with a flower pinned to the lapel. He looked up from the wine he was swirling in a glass. Immediately, he stood up and pushed Allen away roughly.

"Maria!" Cross boomed, hugging the woman. "We don't need to go for another ten minutes, dear!"

She gave him a disapproving look, and brought Allen back to her side. "Don't call me dear, Cross Marian. Lord knows that I'll never fall for you again. I came early to see Allen."

By that time, both Cross and his apprentice were thoroughly confused. The red haired man kept looking from Maria to Allen, as if he couldn't figure out why she would ever want to visit an idiot apprentice like him. Allen was puzzled by the whole situation – Cross dressed up and telling Maria that they will not be leaving for a few minutes, Maria then claiming that she wanted to see him.

He broke the silence, "Maria, Master? Where are you going?"

"Idiot, didn't I tell you?" Cross said, rolling his eyes.

Allen frowned and answered, "You never tell me anything. Either you're drunk, or there's a woman with you."

The guardian shrugged and sighed. He finally explained, "Maria and I have a dinner party to attend. The owner of _Innocence Corp._ asked us to come for old time's sake. Apparently, it's his sister's birthday. He's crazy for her – too crazy."

_Ah, yes I remember_, Allen thought suddenly_, Maria used to work there too. She quit after Cross, and I'm pretty sure they were lovers for a while. Then she became a singer, and the rest is history._

"He did say that Allen was welcome to come," Maria added.

"I don't want to take a brat along. Too much work."

An uncomfortable silence trailed after Cross's comment. Allen shifted from one foot to the other, unsure about his circumstances. For one thing, going to the dinner would mean endless hours of dull stories about work, followed by awkward alcohol induced singing and dancing. On the other hand, if the police of AKUMA decided to infiltrate his accommodation, he would be nowhere to be found. Maria grabbed his hand, snapping him out of his daze.

"Come on, Allen. We've still got some time; I want to see your room," she said brightly.

"My-my room?" Allen repeated, thinking of the state of it. The floor was littered with food wrappers and papers from the morning. He cursed himself for not cleaning that without delay.

The grip tightened. "Yes, your room, silly," she said again, with an odd glint on her eyes.

He finally agreed and climbed the stairs before her. Once they were inside, Maria hastily closed the door and locked it. Her ice blue eyes narrowed with seriousness. She sat on Allen's desk chair without asking, Allen having to sit amongst the paper waste left on his bed. He understood now – though they had seen each other four or five times, she had visited this house only once before. It was a year ago, and she called in when he was alone. Desperate to perfect a tricky con, he had told her everything and sought her assistance. Instead of calling the cops like he expected her to, Maria consented to his request. With her looks, voice, and sharp intellect she gathered vital information for it, resulting in a successful con. Since then, she swore to help him every time she could. As long as one day, he would come clean for everything and deny her hand in the robberies. He agreed to those terms, but felt guilty as he knew that giving himself up was suicidal.

"You're in a shitload of trouble, you know that Walker?" she said, getting straight to the point.

"Maria, I-"

"No, let me finish," she cut across, "A case has been filed against you. People are looking to put you behind bars. I was there at the scene of the last heist, acting as an FBI officer's lover. They're deadly serious about this, so be on high alert."

"Look, Maria-"

"I said let me finish! Now you've got this fucking diamond to find…"

"Whoa there," Allen interrupted, "How do you know about that?"

The woman gave him an ironic smile. "Who said that looks don't matter? I, uh, 'got close' to an AKUMA, he spilled the beans. Tried to kill me, but you know what I can do."

He ran a hand through his white hair, feeling his silver eyes grow dull. He didn't want to think about this, not now. But he could not run forever.

"Okay, so what can you do to help? That is why you dragged me up here isn't it?" he asked.

Maria nodded. "The _Xuè Shu__ǐ__jīng_ diamond – how much of its history have you read, Allen?"

"Enough: I know that it's from China, and it is currently in the possession of a family, since it got passed down through many generations," Allen replied.

"OI! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE, IDIOT DISCIPLE!" Cross bellowed, then switch to a softer tone, "Maria, it's time to go."

The pair stood and walked to the door. Just before they left Allen's room, Maria turned to look at him. There was a pain in her eyes for some reason, and it made his heart ache. They pierced through the thick wall he had put between his mind and his conscience. She placed a hand to his cheek.

"Come with us tonight. The diamond will be closer than you think," she said.

Allen tilted his head, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Maria smiled again, a saddening smile. Allen realized what she was going to say long before she did.

"The _Xuè Shu__ǐ__jīng_ diamond belongs to him – the owner of Innocence Corporation. And, if we play our cards right, it will be the highlight of our evening."

* * *

**Same day, 21:08 – Lenalee's birthday party**

The room was so packed with people, that Lenalee felt sick with claustrophobia. But brother had insisted on a big event and she couldn't say no to the ridiculous puppy dog eyes he gave her. She scanned the crowd, trying to spot someone she could recognise. She then waved at Reever, who had just walked through the door. He smiled and walked over, looking smart in a blue blazer over his white shirt and jeans.

"Looking good, Lenalee," the Australian said.

Lenalee blushed, and fumbled with the material of her dress. It was truly a beautiful outfit – a Mandarin collared knee-length dress, white silk with intricate indigo flowers painted on. She had to admit that the capped sleeves and two slits down the side of the dress were not suited for winter weather, but she loved it anyway. It was her twenty-fourth birthday party, a spectacular event devised by her beloved brother.

"So Reever," Lenalee started, "Any more news about this con-artist?"

He gave her such a forlorn look that she apologised immediately. He reprimanded her in a teasing manner, telling her not to focus on the case when she had a birthday to celebrate.

_Of course_, Lenalee thought. _Reever and the others are probably overworked as well. Everyone apart from me has a double job here – Reever's the Squad Leader in Black Order Detectives, but also Second Scientist in Innocence Corp. Wonder if all those people who quit will come…oh!_

She could not fail to spot that specific shade of red hair and the peculiar mask.

_So, Cross did come after all_, she rolled her eyes. _He had better not try and flirt again – he was bad enough when he was a General in Black Order! I still can't believe that he quit both sides; I guess Leverrier got to him too._

She wandered away from the man idly, creating short conversation with the various guests. It seemed that her two newest colleagues hadn't arrived yet. That is, if Komui ever actually invited them. He always kept a grudge against any new men Lenalee met, duration ranging from three days to five months. After a while he would get over it. She made sure he did and also made sure he did something worthwhile instead of stalking her whenever she was out.

"Lenalee!"

She whipped around, her long high ponytail catching the redhead's face. Stumbling backwards, Lavi Bookman accidently elbowed the tall Japanese man behind him. His abuse did not stop there, as Kanda promptly aimed a punch to his face. The youth managed to catch himself in the nick of time before he fell right into Lenalee. The Chinese girl just stood there, violet eyes wide with surprise. Lavi shook his head, straightened up and gave a huge grin. She returned it with a less enthusiastic but warm smile whilst Kanda turned his head away with a 'che'.

Brandishing a good sized gift bag, Lavi said, "Happy birthday! I know it's not much, but here ya go!"

Managing a more genuine smile, Lenalee accepted the gift, and replied, "Thank you Lavi, Kanda! So, did brother invite you?"

Lavi shrugged, and said cheekily, "What's life without crashin' a few parties? I even got Yuu to come, and you know your party's a hit when Yuu doesn't try to torch the place!"

She giggled at that, walking past Lavi to shake Kanda's hand.

He scrutinized the hand as if it had offended him greatly, and eventually spoke, "I didn't bring matches this time, otherwise the fire fighters would be here by now. Your damned gift is in that bag Lavi gave you."

Promising herself that she'd look at the gifts later, she set the bag on a random table. Just as she was pouring herself some punch, Lenalee jumped at the sight of one of the many men she was hoping to avoid. She glared with steely eyes at Inspector Malcolm Leverrier. With his customary Hitler style moustache combed to perfection, hair sleeked back with military precision and sharp beady eyes, he looked more like an army commander from World War II than a member of the Central.

"My, my Lenalee," he said, "Don't you look well today? I've made a special cake for the party; it's on the buffet table. Care to take a bite?"

_I'd rather eat poison_, Lenalee thought disgusted.

But she still agreed to being dragged across the hall to the buffet table. Picking up a cake gingerly she tried to dissect it with her eyes. It looked delicious, but knowing that Leverrier had touched it, she couldn't help feeling suspicious of it. Precious seconds that she could've been spending with her well wishers were being wasted in front of a cream filled dessert.

"You do know that those cakes are gorgeous, right?"

Lenalee turned to see where that new voice had come from, but all she could see was a mountain of food. Clearly, the pile was rapidly diminishing, and soon it had vanished. In front of her stood a white haired boy, around her age, wearing a smart gray waistcoat, white shirt and a crimson ribbon snaked around his neck. He looked at her with big gray eyes, and gave one of the most innocent smiles Lenalee had ever seen. He reached forward and grabbed one of Leverrier's cakes, took an inhumanly large bite out of it, and sighed contently.

"Try it," he said.

Hesitating, she took a nibble. The pleasant sweet flavour of it invaded her mouth, and it was gone before she knew it. Wanting to thank the stranger, she looked around. But he had disappeared into the thick of the party, and not even his noticeably white hair could be seen.

_Who was he?_ Lenalee pondered. _I would've remembered if I had met a guy like that before_.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the entertainment."

Komui stood at the top of the hall, looking sharp in a standard tuxedo. The general buzz of chatter died down, and some people clapped and whooped. He cleared his throat and continued.

"There are a lot of people here tonight, and though all of us started in the same place, a lot of us have moved on due to…various reasons. This woman is one such person – she started as an assisting inventor to Cross Marian, but her true passion lay in singing. Please put your hands together for the great 'Grave of Maria'!"

The applause had grown thunderous, but was quickly covered with silence. Lenalee assumed that Maria was the auburn haired woman that had accompanied Cross to the party.

_That guy was with him too_, she realized with a jump_. I remember seeing a streak of white hair._

All thoughts were swept out of her head as Lenalee gaped in wonder at Maria's costume. Her hair and eyes were covered by a tight black hood, attached to her elaborate full length dress of the same colour. Green roses lined the waist and the low neck line, giving her an air of intimidating superiority. But the _pièce de résistance _was definitely the massive blood red butterfly crowning the hood. Her voice was full and untainted, but she understood why she named herself 'Grave of Maria' – her music was borderline creepy; nevertheless, Lenalee enjoyed it.

She caught sight of white hair in the corner of her eye. There he was again, leaning on the table that Lenalee was sitting at. A faint smile graced his lips, his eyes half closed. He looked completely taken by the music, swaying slightly to the beat. She smiled at that, but then quickly stopped. Now that she knew he was accompanying _the_ Cross Marian, her alert levels were on high.

He spoke softly, "Her voice is beautiful, Maria's – but it's damn near heart breaking. I can never listen to an entire song without feeling memories welling up. It's innocent sorrow, that's the only way to describe that feeling."

Lenalee nodded, understanding what he was saying. She could feel it too; the dulled pain of losing her parents to the fire flickered and blazed again. Wiping some escaped tears, she was the first to start the standing ovation as the song ended. Maria bowed flamboyantly, and left without a word. Komui came back, clapping earnestly as well.

"That was amazing, wasn't it?"

A general roar of consent answered the question. The Chinese man chuckled.

"Good! Now, let's call up the birthday girl – oh Lenalee!"

She walked as fast as she could to the front, conscious of the many eyes on her. Her brother engulfed her in a warm hug. The crowd sighed an 'aww.' Lenalee snickered as she saw Kanda's expression of disgust.

_Too much lovey-dovey for him_, she mused.

"You're now twenty-four, which is the age that, according the customs of the Lee family, the oldest male will pass on this," he brandished a necklace, "to the twenty-four year old girl."

Lenalee felt breathless. The red jewel in the centre mesmerized her, but she caught Komui's furtive serious look. He carefully placed the necklace around her neck, securing the latch.

"Be careful with this, it's an heirloom," he whispered.

Someone from the mass shouted up. "Oi, what's the jewel in the centre?"

Komui laughed and answered, "Nothing big – just some red garnet. But it's important to our family."

Cheers resonated through the hall, coupled with 'Happy Birthday' singing. Lenalee returned to her chair, her face red from all the attention. The guy was still there, smiling that smile again. His eyes traced the necklace. He leaned in close, studying the red jewel thoroughly.

After a while, he looked into her eyes, and said, "That's quite a diamond there."

Lenalee was taken aback, and whispered furiously, "How did you figure that out?"

The guy reverted to his original leaning position and shrugged. "I have a lot of unnecessary skills."

He put his hands in his trouser pockets. "See you around."

For some reason, she didn't want him to go. She tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned slightly.

"Who are you, exactly?" She blurted, getting the pressing question off her chest.

He smiled like that for the third time. He turned again, and dipped his head down a notch. He spoke two words before walking away.

"Nobody important."

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**Well, that was longer than I expected. Not got much to say – actually, expect me to announce a break for a couple of weeks in February, because I've got three major exams coming up. I'll get straight to the point; Reviews? =3**


	11. Chapter 10: The Bet is Set

**Discordnant Silence reviewed and gave me a really good suggestion – I should put time stamps so that people don't get confused if it's a flashback chapter or real time chapter. I have put then on the previous chapters as well. So, I finally update after a long time; don't kill me, blame exams! But, my exams are almost finished now so I can start writing again!**

**[Honestly, I saw almost nothing wrong with this chapter. There were a couple spots where you were missing a word or the tense was wrong, but it was almost unnoticeable. **

**Anyhow, I really like where the story is going and that you're using easily recognizable scenarios from the manga to help move the story along. Doing so not only helps you, but also lets readers stay in a 'D Gray Man mindset,' I guess you could say. I also agree with the idea of the time stamps. I've had reviewers suggest giving a better sense of time in my stories as well.]**

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Chapter 10: The Bet is Set

**November 17****th**** 2010, 2:47am - Noah's prison**

"Now move it to the right…"

A bead of sweat trickled down Lenalee's face as she fiddled with the hairpin. She had already used up eight minutes of precious time attempting to pull the black accessory out of her hair, requiring the most uncomfortable manoeuvres. Now, under Allen's detailed instructions, she was going to set them free.

"It should almost be done," Allen said, "Just wiggle it a little."

The cuffs came apart with a satisfying _click!_, and Lenalee stood. She rubbed her wrists, wincing as her fingers slid over the angry red cuts, courtesy of the cuffs. There was no time to waste though, as she immediately began picking Allen's lock. Lavi seemed to look forlorn when she started the procedure.

"Lena-chaaaan," he moaned, "Why couldn't ya have freed me first? I'm the one with the ride outta here comin'!"

His pouted face flinched as he spotted the stony amethyst eyes. He gulped and looked at Kanda for support. The Japanese man turned his head to the side with a scoff. Lenalee resumed her lock picking.

"The reason is because Allen is faster at this than me, so he can get you out faster," she explained, biting her lip in concentration.

"Well, could you be any slower? We don't have much time before the next guard comes," Kanda snapped.

"This is harder than it looks," she murmured in response.

_It's a wonder I'm able to do this at all_, she thought.

With Lavi's keen sense of hearing, the four of them deduced that it takes eleven minutes for a change of guard, give or take a minute. The Bookman Junior guessed that Bookman was due to arrive in fifteen minutes, and he was not known for being late. Lenalee's eyes narrowed as she endeavoured to break the final turn. She decided to take another twenty-one seconds of their time to hug Allen once he was freed. The silver-haired man sat there, eyes blank as the Chinese girl embraced him. He took the hairpin from her hand as she released him, and made quick work of Lavi's and Kanda's handcuffs. Kanda holstered Mugen and gave Allen a hard stare.

"Your criminal ways finally did something for the good of society, Moyashi," he said.

Allen frowned and shot back, "My name is Allen, and this won't be the first time the law-enforcers will need my so-called 'criminal ways.'"

Lavi butted in, sensing an argument. "Guys, we don't have the time for this. A guard will be coming any second now. Stick to the plan."

Sure enough, they could soon hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Lenalee cleared her throat and called out to the guard.

"Mister AKUMA, I need to use the restroom."

At first, the response was silence.

He finally said in a gruff voice, "What the fuck are you playin' at, detective?"

Rolling her eyes, she responded crisply, "Well, I'm sure that the Noah will not be pleased with you if you let me soil the dungeon. Come on, I'm in chains – what harm can I do?"

She could hear shuffling and grumbling, followed by the sound of jangling keys. She tensed in her position by the door. Kanda stood in the shadows, which veiled his ready gun. Lavi and Allen stood opposite him, armed with the heavy chains. The key turned and the gang member bumbled inside. A powerful kick met his face, sending him flying. The body landed at Lavi's feet and he immediately chained him. For the first time that night, Allen showed a true form of emotion.

"Lenalee, what was that?" he asked, astounded.

The detective gave a smirk and replied, "I've been learning capoeira for about one year now. My teacher says I've got the most powerful legs she's ever seen."

"I'll say," Lavi agreed.

Kanda stayed silent, gun still out threateningly. He kicked the AKUMA onto his back and pointed the weapon between his eyes.

"Why don't we just finish of this scum while we're at it," he snarled, finger on the wicked trigger.

"We're keeping casualties down to a minimum, Yuu," Lavi stated, as if this scenario happened all the time."Leave him be."

Dark eyes narrowed, but he lowered Mugen anyway.

"Che, don't call me by my first name, Usagi," he groused.

With little time remaining before Bookman was due to arrive, the foursome sprinted out of the dank dungeon. It wasn't long before they were spotted by an AKUMA. However, Kanda had a solution. A bullet passed through the man's head before he could raise the alarm. The others looked at him with raised eyebrows, Lenalee looking a little green.

The FBI officer gave a dark smile and explained, "Hey, Lavi never said 'no casualties'. Would you rather I leave everyone alone?"

No one argued with that; they were better dead than being a nuisance.

With years of conning people and escaping unnoticed under his belt, there was a mutual agreement that Allen would lead them out. As if to make a point, he explicitly said no shooting or any form of violence until it was absolutely necessary. They walked instead of ran, so as to not draw unwanted attention.

Lenalee studied Allen as he strode in front of everyone else. Other than the sense of urgency emanating from him, he seemed almost relaxed. The usual tension of getting lost did not hang over him.

_He's leading us down corridors with confidence I have never seen in him_, she thought. _It's almost like…he's been here before._

She caught up with Allen and lightly touched his arm. The familiar electricity ran down her spine when he looked at her with his smoky gray eyes. She gulped, making sure that the pending question was correctly formed in her head.

"Allen," she started," Have you-"

"Well, well, well – it seems that we have rats running about in the mansion."

A tall man stood at the end of the corridor, merely four meters away from them. He took off his top hat and ran a gloved hand through dark curly hair. After sleeking it back, he replaced the hat and straightened his black tailcoat. By that time, hordes of AKUMA had surrounded the man and the detective group.

Allen spoke through gritted teeth, "Lord Tyki Mikk."

The man guffawed at the mention of his name. He said, "Don't be so polite, boy. You know that you can just call me Tyki."

Tension settled on the pin-drop silence, sandwiching the group and the Noah between. He signalled to them to drop any weapons. Mugen and a few chains clattered on the floor. He circled them, imitating his niece like before. Only this time, not a word was spoken. Lenalee shivered as Tyki brushed past her, the cruel yellow eyes piercing her soul.

As the only legitimate businessman in the circle of Noah, Tyki was known to be the messenger of the Millennium Earl. He, as well as his brother Sheryl, could speak to the media without being arrested. The siblings were originally labourers illegally trafficked from Portugal to Mexico. When they both got fed up of being harassed by their unforgiving boss, they fled to Los Angeles. After taking shelter in AKUMA, the Earl bestowed power upon the brothers as well. It wasn't common knowledge to everyone in the world, but the Earl had the world on puppet strings. With a tweak here and there, Sheryl became the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, being the first Noah to work outside LA. Tyki preferred a business career, and so appointed himself as CEO of Tease Industries, an entrepreneurial company which ranged from owning casinos to inventing singing toothbrushes. That was what he referred to as his 'white' side. His 'black' side, however, was enough to place sheer terror in the hearts of LA residents. He had himself devised the mass arson attacks which killed several families in a way to set an example for those who step out of line.

Lenalee, during her case, found out that her family was one of them.

"So, my friends from the other side of the law," he started nonchalantly, "do you know where you are right now?"

Their location was still a mystery to her. All she could assume was that they were not far away from Las Vegas or LA, since the drive was shorter than she had expected. Still, it irked her to think that she had no idea where she was, and worse, neither did her brother. At least if he had known, Black Order Detectives would have done anything in their power to rescue them.

"Boy?" The Noah continued, snapping Lenalee out of her pondering, "Why don't you tell them?"

Everyone turned to peer at Allen with a look of surprise. Why he would know this place was beyond them. He scowled, gray eyes looking more frightening.

"We're in the Noah's Ark, AKUMA's most lustrous mansion," he growled.

Lenalee was taken aback – there was nothing in all the archives of AKUMA she had studied said anything about a gang mansion. What was more worrying was the fact that Allen had been in here. She could not being to imagine what horrors he must have seen within these walls. Tyki confirmed Allen's answer with a nod.

"Yes, this is our mansion," he said, twirling his hand in the building general space, "But we've grown tired of it. We're going to move to a new one now, since we've been entertaining filthy guests for so long that it has become contaminated. Do I recall, the Fourteenth?"

She could feel Allen trembling from rage beside her. Lenalee knew that Tyki had given him terrible grief the past year, and retribution was the only thing on the white-haired man's mind. She secretively slipped her small, cool hand into his heated one. He seemed to calm down after that, taking strength in her forced serenity. It was not as if the Chinese girl herself was not furious. She could hardly believe that she was standing in front of the man who instigated her parents' murder and not shooting him with Mugen herself.

"What do you want, Noah?" Lavi yelled.

"Well, then, if I wanted something, I would have already gotten it. Remember, my Dark Matter ability is 'Choice'. Using my charismatic ways and monetary influences amongst other things, I can obtain whatever I want," Tyki answered.

He walked over to Allen, rummaging in his pocket for something. Allen's hand twitched, eyes widening as the distance between the villainous man and him grew smaller. Tyki grabbed his other hand, forced an object into it and balled it into a fist. It twinkled golden inside the white material of the younger man's gloves. He opened up the fist and stared at the thing, bemused. It was a house key; nothing special, quite rusted and worn down. He looked into those golden eyes, demanding an answer. The Noah started circling them once again.

"If you want to get out so badly, please don't feel you have to stay," he said slowly, "The key to the front door is in your hands, boy. You can go."

Confusion joined the tension in the mansion. The four stepped back at the same time, briefly touching backs. It was clear that no one trusted Lord Mikk's words, and they all waited for the catch.

Tyki chuckled and said, "But I've been getting bored lately. I do wish you could stay to entertain me. Ah, I know! Why don't we continue that poker game we played on the train, boy? Only this time…"

He suddenly lunged for Lenalee and clutched her wrist. Her grip on Allen's hand was destroyed, and she called out to him. Before he could grab her hand again, the AKUMA formed an even tighter circle around them. Lenalee could feel her heart pounding and was certain that the Noah could feel it too. He snaked an arm around her neck to form a noose-like imprisonment. She could see the desire to kill the man emanating from her friends.

"Your lady detective is the bet."

Time seemed to freeze for a second. The only sound was a faint ticking noise; she guessed the source of the noise was in the eastern corridor. Tyki continued talking – everyone was getting really tired of his voice by now.

"Like I said, we've grown tired of this mansion. That is why we'll be demolishing it tonight. The bombs have already been set - now to add the players. You and your FBI and CIA friend shall play… a game in a way, with a Noah. I'm pretty sure you know who you're up against."

No, Lenalee thought, panicked. Not them, they barely got away with their lives last time!

He grinned inhumanely, "Your objective is to defeat your Noah and escape before the bomb explodes. Don't worry; once you are out of the room, our specialised security locks will prevent the explosion from harming you. Once you are done, make your way to find the lady. We shall be in the dining hall, enjoying a meal. If you make it, I will let you go. If you don't, then the lady and the Noah die here as well."

Allen gazed at the sadistic Noah stonily. He said in a flat voice, "I heard that Noah have their own secret passageways. How is this fair?"

With another irritating chuckle, the Portuguese answered, "I don't know where you heard that. It's a myth, boy. Are you too scared?"

The younger man smirked. Tyki's eyes widened at his expression, unsure as to what was so funny to him.

"Why don't we raise the stakes?"

All eyes were on Allen now. Lenalee attempted to shake her head in refusal, but it proved difficult in Tyki's iron clasp.

This is enough of a threat as it is, she thought. Please, don't make it worse.

There was a moment of consideration before Tyki said, "Always the gambler, aren't you boy? Go on, state your stakes."

"You have a certain something in your possession," he started, "Something that doesn't belong to you, Lord Mikk. If we win, we get Lenalee and that object back. If we lose, then you can-"

Kanda punched him hard on the shoulder. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Moyashi? What else do we have to bet?"

"I'm with Yuu on that," Lavi added. "C'mon, this is a big enough mess already!"

Surprisingly, Allen's glare was enough to silence the two men. He thought for a few seconds.

Finally, he said, "All my spoils of previous cons are yours. There's a damn good stash of money in the underground system. I'm sure you know who to contact."

Money was Tyki's absolute pleasure, something which he could not turn down. With a tip of his top hat, the deal was sealed. All of a sudden, the ring of AKUMA and the Noah were nowhere to be found. A haze of gas snuck into the hall, making the air stifling. The three men endeavoured to cough out the alien gas coursing through their system. Their bodies slumped to the ground, unconscious. Lenalee screamed their names, begging for them to wake up.

* * *

Allen cracked open an eyelid, squinting from the sudden bright light. Still groggy from being knocked out by the gas, he propped himself up. It was then when he noticed a strange person standing in front of him. It was a girl, looking barely over eighteen years old – she was definitely shorter than Allen, and wore a pink skirt and smart, white shirt that was ruffled at the shoulders. On top of the shirt she wore a peculiar pumpkin printed sweater vest, which matched the small top hat with a pumpkin she had placed on her head at an angle. She stretched down to pull up her knee-length orange and black striped socks, and then peered at the semi-conscious men in a concerned manner.

"Ooh, Master Earl will not be happy about this," she said to herself, wringing her hands.

She then shouted, "OI! WAKE UP IF YOU WANT TO LIVE! Then again, you most certainly won't…"

That snapped Allen out of his haze. His ears still ringing from the loud voice, he asked, "Who are you?"

The girl rolled her eyes and offered him a hand to haul him up. He attempted to take it, but feel flat on his face when she swiped it away. Giggling, she nudged his snowy hair with her black Converse.

"I'm Lero, the Earl's secretary. And you are all going to die tonight."

* * *

…**yeah, I used part of the Noah's Ark arc plot to help me. Yes! I have finally written a chapter after so long. I still have exams though, so updates may not be every week. Just look out for it, don't just assume I will update on a Thursday. I will notify you when I get back onto my Thursday routine. I'll be posting on February 20****th**** as well, since it is Lenalee's (and Neah's) birthday! **

**On a side note, I have a Fiction Press account now as well – the link is in my profile :)**


	12. Chapter 11: Trap

**I have a bad cold, so this update timing is a little later than I planned. Man, my head hurts. Anyway, I'm going to leave you with this. Oh, some addition information; Allen does not have the pentacle scar or the oddly coloured arm. Basically, he looks normal apart from his white hair. And Lenalee has long hair in the flashback chapters, and shorter hair in the real time (it's as long as it is in recent manga chapters) Enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 11: Trap

**February 20****th****, 2009 – 22:20**

Allen walked away from Lenalee in the most nonchalant manner he could muster. In truth, his insides were in turmoil as he saw the prize he was after right in front of him. The _Xuè Shuǐjīng _diamond within reaching distance! He spotted Cross's red hair making its way through a gaggle of young ladies, and he rolled his eyes. At least Lenalee wasn't in that group. Allen was not sure what unspeakable act he would unleash onto Cross if he so much as laid a finger on her…

_Wait_, Allen halted his thoughts. _That was irrelevant. It's his function in life to be a womanizer, what can I do about that? He gets extra income out of it and-hold on again._

He turned to the birthday girl again, and saw her talking to some other people. He studied her movements – she had subtle quirks, like fidgeting with her hem and playing with a strand of her hair. Her eyes were always wide with interest, and her entire face lit up when she laughed. This Lenalee was different to the Lenalee he saw yesterday. Yesterday's was calm, cool, and calculating. Today's was carefree and jovial. The most important of these facts was that she was the mark. From the moment he saw the necklace, he knew that there was only one way to get her to part with it. He started to form the perfect mask over his dark thoughts.

_The only way_, he thought, is _to be the man she wants. In short, I need to woo her._

Done fixing his hair and trying a charming smile out for size, Allen was ready. But his current plan was quickly impeded when he saw a particular hyper redhead and his moody Japanese companion making their way towards Lenalee. His assumptions were confirmed – this was the team he was up against. He started to tweak the scheme; as the foster son of an ex Black Order General, he could pretend to have additional information. Granted, he did not have the data freedom as the CIA officer, but he had personal knowledge. He could drive them in circles! And whilst the officers chased false leads like headless chickens, he could successfully sweep the detective off her feet, and catch a certain diamond in his hands. The only thing bothering him was the Supervisor.

Allen remembered his name now – Komui Lee, Co-Head of _Innocence Corporation_ and Supervisor of the Black Order Detectives. He had heard countless tales about how his sister complex would give rise to monstrous robots. Apparently, he would tail Lenalee at any given time, just so that her purity was maintained. He would have to play around this dangerous factor, using whatever tricks he had learned. The rest of the plan was in the hands of Fate, so Allen took the plunge into the shark-infested waters.

Lenalee seemed to have seen him advancing towards her again, and waved at him. Allen smiled and returned the wave, still planning. To appear in front of his captors was not yet a suicidal, so he decided to stride towards them confidently, acting as if he really was here to enjoy a party. The two other men turned in his direction, probably wondering who he was. The con-artist gave them a warm smile, and proceeded to shake Lenalee's hand.

"Happy birthday, Miss," he said, "I trust you have enjoyed your day?"

Lenalee's cheeks were tinged pink from the contact, but she replied, "Thank you, and yes it's been a good day."

"I have placed my gift with the others. It's not much, but don't think badly of me because of that."

"Oh no, I would never judge someone that way! You're too kind…"

She was about to continue, but Lavi Bookman definitely wanted in on the conversation.

"Yo, Lenalee – who's the stuffy high school kid?"

A vein throbbed in Allen's temple and his pride took a pinch. That was just killing two birds with one stone; first to mock his impeccable manners, second to mock his less-than-average height. Even Kanda couldn't resist smirking at the question. The white haired boy sighed and shook the comment off.

"Sir, you flatter me by acknowledging my manners," he answered politely, "But I am twenty two years old. I passed high school many moons ago."

The redhead seemed satisfied with that answer, so slung an arm around the shorter man's neck. "Ya know, I think I've seen you around here. Did ya go to U of N? I remember spendin' a year there, but the stupid old panda insisted on Harvard. I was there like 'Yeah, I get it! I need a load of education if I ever wanted to get into…'"

A quiet growl to the left of the pair silenced Lavi. The sound emanated from Kanda and it complimented his irritated aura. He said, "You need to learn when to shut up, idiot. You interrupted her."

Allen caught the Japanese man's eyes, but quickly looked away again. It almost hurt to see so much intensity radiating from those fathomless irises. Plus – even though he didn't want to admit it – he was actually a little bit _afraid_ of Kanda. After extensive research on possible threats to his 'job', Allen decided that the feared FBI officer was the biggest. With a murky, trouble-filled past and a conscience that had been all but snuffed out, Kanda Yuu aimed to complete every mission and nothing else. The con-artist had no doubts that half the Los Angeles prison cells were full because of him. Shaking the negative information out of his head, Allen turned to Lenalee, who finally got the chance to say what she wanted.

Lenalee gave Allen a full sweep with her amethyst eyes and said, "So, will you finally tell me who you are, so that I can thank you properly."

Allen bowed slightly, keeping up the polished gentleman act. "Certainly, Miss. Lenalee, but later. First, I need to get Master away from those girls, and help Maria pack up. Can I see you later?"

He looked up through his snowy eyelashes at the girl. She was smiling nervously, but nodded. Allen walked away and located Cross again. Before he could get there, a figure stood in his way. It was Kanda, and he was glaring openly at him. Allen composed himself and stared plainly back.

"May I help you?" he asked coolly.

The older man made his eyes into suspicious slits. "I don't like your type. There's something about you that pisses me off. I better not see you around too much, if you know what's good for you, Moyashi."

Allen raised an eyebrow at the foreign word. "Moyashi?"

"Moyashi means beansprout," Kanda explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It matches your height."

It was the white haired boy's turn to narrow his eyes. "My name is Allen."

Kanda turned and waved the last comment off. "Like I care. Just don't come near me."

Allen swallowed as soon as the officer was out of sight. He made a beeline for Cross and dragged the tipsy man quite spectacularly out of the horde of women. After making sure he was safely away from anyone of the opposite gender, he informed his master of his impending plan. It was purely a formality, just so that Cross knew that he was doing something and not dead, as the guardian always thought he was. Allen had had enough greetings of 'so how come you're still alive' when he came home from any event.

"Now, I want you to go and see Maria," he said to Cross slowly, "And give her this message word for word: 'the trap is set'. She'll know what it means. And for the love of Christ, please do something about that rancid alcohol breath."

Cross just replied, "Mmm, whatever. Tell Maria that, sort out Christ's alcohol breath, got it."

He rolled his eyes in despair of his master. The man disappeared behind the wings, and the con-artist swiftly walked towards the back of the hall. The catering team were clearing the light snacks and confections from the banquet table and were starting to lay out steaming China plates. In the centre they placed various Chinese dishes, all mouth watering in Allen's eyes. He was the first to delve into the food, stacking the vegetarian spring rolls, duck pieces cooked Beijing style with pancakes and a side of chicken chow mien high on the plate, whilst expertly balancing a small bowl of soy sauce. He sat down alone, looking at everyone else starting to queue up. He poured himself some still water (not wanting to be dampened by alcoholic beverages) and announced a silent toast to himself.

_A toast_, he proclaimed, _to the setting of the trap. Cheers!_

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**23:02**

Once everyone had served themselves Lenalee took her own plate and filled it with the delicious food. She sat at the head of the table, and was surprised that everyone could fit around it. Komui had gone overboard with the invitations, claiming that one and all would most certainly flock to see Lenalee's exquisite beauty. The only condition was that they could not insinuate that she was exquisitely beautiful, unless they were willing to be decapitated. She saw Lavi settle next to the white haired boy, and Kanda sit well away from the duo. Noticing that his plate was empty, she got up before Komui could bring out the cake.

She reached him quickly and asked, "Why haven't you got any food, Kanda?"

He gave her a frown and said, "There's no soba here."

"Well, there's Chinese soba over there," she pointed, trying to help out, "Why don't you try that?"

He looked at her pointedly, and then stared at the china plate. "Che, it's not the same. I'm eating when I get home."

Lenalee was still willing to get the officer to eat something, but she could see that having contact with so many people was starting to take its toll on the antisocial man. She gave him a small pat on the back, ignoring his flinch.

"As long you eat tonight," she responded, "We've got a full day's work tomorrow."

She made it back to her own seat just in time, as the cake was already making its way towards them. It was magnificent – a three tiered chocolate paradise, with chocolate butter cream between the cake layers. The candles shone a proud twenty three, accompanied by two little figures made of icing. She gasped with pleasant surprise when she saw that the figures were her and her brother, perfect down to the last curl of Komui's dark hair.

The chorus of 'Happy Birthday' rang for the second time, and Lenalee cut into the cake. There was a cheer and a flash of the camera as she fed a piece to her brother. He raised his glass for a toast.

"To my beloved Lenalee," he announced, "A brilliant sister and a brilliant detective. Cheers!"

All the guests ate to their hearts content, but none more so than the boy next to Lavi. He shovelled in the food as fast as a human could when using chopsticks. The redhead sat gaping, his chopsticks hanging in mid air for a full three minutes before the food on it slipped off. The plate was licked clean five times, and even Lenalee was astounded by the vast amount of food that had disappeared down the man's gullet.

_How could he eat so much, and remain so – dare I say it – attractive?_ She wondered.

She finally got the chance to meet up with the pair, and decided to once again ask for the man's identity, but before she could he grabbed her hand for another shake.

"That was a fantastic meal!" he exclaimed, "You must allow me to thank the chef!"

He disappeared through some double doors. Lenalee rolled her eyes, and was about to go after him and tell him that the chef did not cook outside (since the man went through the exit), when she realized that there was a small piece of paper in her hand. She unfolded the paper and read the note inscribed on it:

_Dear Miss Lenalee,_

_Did you not say that you wanted to know who I was? Come outside, and I will tell you. _

_Your secret white haired man_

She peered at the note, and her curiosity increased tenfold. That man was so mysterious that he would not reveal his name in front of others? Lenalee guessed that it was her detective instinct to know everything that made her walk towards the double doors herself.

The cold February breeze bit at her exposed skin and Lenalee regretted not bringing a jacket. She saw the man leaning against the wall with a faraway look in his eyes. Those eyes were peculiar; she had seen grey eyed people before, but she had never seen the hue extend to silver. They shone like the moon, like an endless ocean of melted stars…

_Off topic_, she told to herself. Let's just find out who he is.

She greeted him, and he snapped out of the contemplation.

"Miss Lenalee Lee…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Please, just call me Lenalee. I sound old being called 'Miss'."

"Let me cut to the chase. I know you are a detective and that you are working on a case to catch a con-artist."

She was taken aback by the volume of information pouring from a stranger's mouth.

"How did you know?" she asked, annoyed, "Look, if this is a confession of espionage-"

He putted up his gloved hands in surrender. "Relax! I know because my guardian was an ex General of the Black Order. I trust you have heard of Cross Marian?"

Lenalee made a grumbling sound at the mention of that name. "Yeah, I know him. Why couldn't you have told me this before?"

"It's a party. Any one of those people could be a spy."

The detective was getting impatient. She was getting tired of his baffling antics.

"Could you tell me why you called me out here? What's your name and what is your business?"

He sighed and looked her fully in the eyes. Lenalee couldn't help but admire them again, but she remained focused on his words.

"My name is Allen Walker, and I humbly request that I help you with your case."

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**Happy birthday to Lenalee! And Neah – though he won't make an appearance in this for a long time. By the way, I hope I didn't offend anyone with the 'Christ's alcohol breath' quip; it was merely for the lulz. I don't know when I'll recover from this cold, but do expect an update :) **

**[It's a great chapter =) ~Lai Jun Chen]**


	13. Chapter 12: The Honour of a Sword

**I…am a bad person. Why, oh, why did life have to dump all of its hardships on me now? I'll rant later, first just read the chapter. It was a terribly difficult chapter to write, in Kanda's POV. The person who aided me on the journey of this chapter, you know who you are ;)**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 12: The Honour of a Sword

**November 17****th**** 2010, 03:16 – Noah's Ark Mansion**

Kanda was not a happy man. He never was, but being held hostage for the second time in one night really pushed his temper over the edge. He got up, and started towards the girl called Lero. Clamping his left hand around Lero's throat, his right hand delved into his jacket pocket for Mugen. The FBI officer's anger spiked again when he realised that the weapon had been confiscated a few minutes ago. He growled, released the now blue-face girl, and hit the wall with his fist. Lavi jumped awake at the noise, and gave a mournful look to the man, who was boring holes in the Earl's secretary with his glare.

"Stop makin' so much of a racket, Yuu," the redhead mumbled groggily, "I've got a headache."

Kanda ignored the whining, and continued to stare at Lero. A bead of sweat ran down her temple, and she flicked her long highlighted fringe out of the way. Kanda just added another thing to a miserably long list of things he hated; those stupid 'scene' hairstyles – boys and girls alike who have acquired that irritating look spend most of their life flicking their fringe and toying with the various unnaturally coloured strands. In addition, his own long dark locks were getting in his mouth, and the band that snapped had been his only hair tie. In short, he was pissed off about _everything_ right now; even something as trivial as hair.

"You there," he said through gritted teeth, "I have three questions – who the fuck are you? What the fuck do you mean we're going to die tonight? And where the fuck is the exit?"

Lero was still coughing from the strangling session, but managed to say, "Like I said, I'm Lero, the Earl's secretary. And yeah, you are all going to die, because none of the Noah are letting you go. It's not as if you've got the strength to defeat them."

Lavi stood and grabbed Kanda's arm as he tried to make another attempt at choking the girl. Lero stepped back unconsciously, with a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

"Lastly, why do you need to know where the exit is? You're not getting out-"

"We are."

Kanda followed the voice to look at Allen. There was no more fear, dejection or guilt lingering on his expression. Instead, his silver eyes blazed with fierce determination, his mouth becoming a taut line. His hands were curling slowly into fists, and he placed one on his heart.

"It is a disgrace," he said quietly, "for a gentleman to not rescue a maiden stolen away unjustly. I have too much pride to let this go by. We're getting Lenalee back. We're getting everything back that I and the Noah have stolen from her over the past few years."

The sappy speech flew right over Kanda's head, but he caught the gist of it. He laid out their plan like it was a new mission; fight, obtain and vacate. Fight the Noah, obtain Lenalee and vacate the premises, fast. He looked around the dark room, but found none of the life threatening humans.

_All that is missing in the room is the Noah_, Kanda thought. _Damn these late people_.

As if that thought was the cue, a deep rumbling cackle emanated from the other side of the huge room. The lights switched on suddenly, making Kanda's eyes water involuntarily. There, amidst the random derelict furniture, stood a mountain. No, the mountain could move, so it was human. The body seemed to consist of mostly intimidating muscle, with a large head, hands and feet to match. His pupils were only a pinprick amongst the sea of white in his eyes, and his dark hair was kept back by a headband. Only wearing a long trench coat, jeans and chunky boots, he looked like a wrestler plucked straight from WWE. They could all hear a low heaving sound from him, as if he was a bull getting ready to charge.

"And the Noah arrives fashionably late," Lavi said, giving him a steely gaze.

"Lavi, remind me – who the heck is this guy?" Allen asked.

"Che," Kanda cut in before Lavi could roll off his information like a database, "First things first, he's a Noah bastard. He tried to kill Tiedoll once; good thing I was there, or the old man would've been road kill-"

"Ahem, Yuu – Moyashi-chan asked me," Lavi stole back the conversation, "Skinn Bolic, 29, and originally from New Orleans. He used to work at a shipbuilding company, but due to a unknown disease, he had to stop. Seeing as he had no way to get income without a job, he became a heroine dealer. He was caught by the FBI and was facing capital punishment."

Lavi face darkened as he continued, "He was already dying from the disease which was branded untreatable, and now this. Then, the Noah family came and offered to cure it. He accepted, and became their mercenary. Now, he hates all FBI officers with disturbing passion."

_CRASH!_

The thunderous noise came from several stacked sofas being pushed over by Skinn. He wore a mad expression and turned to the three men and Lero.

"You talk too much," he spoke in a gravelly tone, "It's annoying. Now that you're done, who will come and face me, Skinn Bolic from the family of Noah?"

The answer already hung in the air – it was an unwritten rule that no one stood in the way of Kanda Yuu and his unfinished business. He gave a curt nod to the monstrous man called Skinn. The Noah roared with laughter, shaking the already fragile walls.

He pointed at the Japanese man and said, "Again? Last time, I sent you away barely alive, and yet you still want more?"

"I'm not finished with you."

"You make it sound like _you_ won that last fight?"

"I don't lose."

Kanda turned to Lavi and Allen and ordered them to find Lenalee. He immediately started protesting, spewing crap like "We're comrades!" or "Teamwork will be better!". The vein in his temple was throbbing dangerously, and he was coming close to beating them ruthlessly. Thankfully, years of training had taught him at least an ounce of self control. After delivering the usual threat of dismemberment, the duo sobered up and conceded.

Lavi turned to Kanda, rummaging in his pocket. He fished out, much to Kanda's invisible relief, a hair tie. After tossing it over wordlessly, Lavi gave him a two finger salute and trudged towards the door with the Earl's secretary. Allen lingered, until Kanda gave him some attention after fastening his hair.

"What?" the FBI officer snapped.

The younger man looked him sharply in the eye and said, "If you don't get out of here alive, I'll kill you."

"Che, the feeling's mutual, Moyashi," Kanda scoffed.

Before the door could finally close, the irritating scene girl popped her head around to face the enemies. She stepped in and started feeling for something on the wall. After a few seconds, she reached a small bump in the plastered wall. With her small fist, she hit the bump with all her force. A beeping sound began, like a timer. She spoke to Kanda with an air of haste.

"That's the bomb, right there. If Master Noah wins, then he gets out alive – 'cause you'll be dead, just clarifying. But if you win, then you must deactivate the bomb. Inside the bump is a clue to where that hostage is. But, we all know you'll die. Do you have any last words to your friends?"

Kanda stayed silent, mostly because he knew Lero would not give him time to talk. He was right, because as soon as she asked, she jogged to the door, slammed it and locked it. Finally, the battle could commence. The huge Noah lumbered from side to side towards a rusting metal cupboard. Once he opened it with a bang, Kanda saw an array of weapons inside. With sharp eyes, he scoured his options; there were no firearms, so that skill was out of the window. Was that _rentsuru_? He eyed the Japanese chain-and-ball bludgeon with distaste – back when he used to live in Japan, he was almost blinded by a stupid boy wielding them in the dojo. That was a firm no. The 'no' was emphasized when Skinn reached out and grabbed a pair of them.

"The bomb will explode in one hour," he grunted, testing the bludgeons, "Pick a weapon – I like a challenge when I fight people."

Everything else was just rusted javelins and daggers, which were in such bad condition that he thought he would have to fight without weapons.

But then he saw it – a sleek, deadly sharp katana, lying against a black lacquered sheath. He quickly snatched it, and tested the weight. On closer inspection, the blade was not as finely tempered as Kanda thought it was. But it would have to do; he was sure it could endure one hour of combat. It had been years since he had finished his kendo training with Sensei Zhu, but daily practice made him a worthy opponent against the muscle beast. Skinn roared, shaking the walls yet again. He was pumping himself for battle, almost like he was trying to intimidate Kanda before they began.

Kanda rolled his eyes, and exhaled softly. He calmed his mind, allowing unnecessary thoughts to flow out of his consciousness. He familiarised himself with the katana, shifting it from one hand to the other. Five minutes had passed, and nothing had commenced.

_Che, we're wasting time_, Kanda thought before he sprinted forward, sword raised.

* * *

**04:16**

"Damn, where is Gramps already?" Lavi complained, "We'd be outta here in no time if he'd only come!"

"Bookman obviously has a well thought out plan," Allen reassured him.

_Yeah right_, Lavi thought. _He'd probably just bust through here, do some martial arts crap, and then beat the shit outta me as if this was my entire fault._

Lavi was also worried about another thing – Gramps had been warning him for months, but he had never paid attention. As a Bookman, he should not be so attached to people outside the clan. Lavi's surname was not really a surname; then again, his real name was not even Lavi. He had forgotten it, and was content with whatever name Gramps gave him when he was accepted into the clan.

_Contented?_ Lavi paused his wondering. . _Not really._

Being part of the CIA intelligence was not his only job. His real job was to record as much history as he could. The Bookman clan held the key to the darkest, murkiest parts of history; where the light of many scholars would not dare to reach. To have any proficiency in such an arduous task meant that any ties with people must be temporary. Gramps explained that the only reason he allowed Lavi to continue the plastic friendship with Allen, Lenalee and Kanda was to note the events of AKUMA. The gang was now so intertwined with the group (and vice versa), that just following these people made for good records. But recently, he was slipping. His real thoughts, his real motives were fading as 'Lavi' was taking over.

Lavi was so in thought that he crashed into the wall at the turn in the corridor. When Allen looked at him questioningly, he laughed it off.

_Why am I here? And why do I care enough to be here?_ He kept thinking.

"Lavi," Allen started, "All of this is my fault, isn't it? You don't lie, so please give me a straight answer."

'_I don't lie' – what, is he for real?_

The redhead looked him straight in the eye, creating a compassionate look in his single iris.

"You're too awesome to be the one at fault, Allen. If you need to blame anything, blame Fate. Fate is the bitch that holds all the cards, and right now, she's been dealing the shitty ones to us."

Allen frowned from the use of language, but brightened up from the response.

"I knew could trust you."

They walked on down the seemingly endless hallway in silence. Suddenly, they heard a terrible rumble from the direction they had come from. That direction…

They turned in unison, and shouted the one name that mattered at the moment.

"Kanda!"

* * *

**Okay, here is my apology/rant; on March 2****nd****, I had three GCSE Science exams. I also had French Writing the same day and a bunch of other stuff in the past two weeks. On top of that, someone stole my violin. I am one of those people who love their instruments to the last string. My parents were not sympathetic about it (I didn't expect them to be), so I ended up looking for it on my own. Thankfully, I got it back on Monday this week. But before that, I was getting terrible headaches because I was worrying about everything going on. Just…too much stuff in the space of two weeks. I am really sorry though – my creative juices were temporarily dry because of my anxieties.**

**As an additional note; I don't think I can do regular updates anymore. Don't expect them on a specific day (I feel like I'm pulling the same move as Hoshino sensei…). I can't get back into the swing of a routine anymore, and if I even try to plan what I need to do, my headaches start. I seriously got a gray hair from this. I feel that this rant is a little childish after what happened yesterday – Japan was devastated by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake. I won't put anymore down since the news has plenty of information about it; I just hope that everyone is praying for their recovery. Maybe even helping by donating to the aid!**

**As another tangent: I drew a picture (poster) for this fic. You can view it on my Deviant Art profile, which is linked to my homepage. Sorry for taking up so much room with just an author's note… (this is a crap chapter...)**


	14. Chapter 13: G for Ghost

**March has not be kind to me...one word: MELODRAMA. Anyways, on with the chapter... (note added one week later) I found a loophole in the error message by Googling, so finally, I'm uploading~!

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**

**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 13: G for Ghost

**February 24****st**** 2009, 10:15 – Downtown LA**

Allen whistled as he walked, completely ignoring his dangerous surroundings. It was a well known fact that this certain stretch of downtown Los Angeles was the murkiest of the lot. Most say that it was an urban myth, but Allen knew the truth. In fact, he could even say that he was part of it. For him, it was an escape, a market and a place where he knew special friends. Oh yes, he was the most connected person there. He kept walking in this nonchalant manner, attracting many wary eyes. Three bodies which were slumped against the terraced houses, held by the noose of binge drinking, struggled up and confronted the man. Their puffy, red-rimmed eyes and slovenly intimidating behaviour looked like a joke to Allen.

"Hey, Shortstack," the dumpy one on the left slurred, "You got a death wish?"

Allen looked at him coolly and responded, "No, sir, I don't. Now, kindly get out of my face. You're disgusting."

The tall, lanky one in front grabbed him by his coat collar at those words, and the other two pulled out broken bottles. Allen rolled his eyes clearly, aggravating the drunkards even more. One came to slice his cheek from the side, his hand coming down unsteadily. The bottle missed him by a hair's breadth, lifting the skin off his captor's hand instead. The Tall and Lanky howled in pain, dropping Allen on his feet. The white haired man watched in silent amusement as the three started squabbling.

"Oi, what was that for, fucker?"

"Don't blame that shit on me! It was you who got me this wasted anyways!"

"Yeah, it was you who threw the fucking party! There weren't even any girls there!"

It carried on like this for five minutes; the two short, fat ones ganged up and complained colourfully about every single thing that went wrong at the tall one's party. It was when the argument turned to the 'God awful potato chips you served, damn idiot' that Allen had to draw the line. He walked past them quietly, hoping that they would not notice his absence. Unfortunately, that was just wishful thinking on his part. A pudgy hand grabbed the scruff of his collar, and he was once again hauled into the circle. The pungent smell of alcoholic breath was making Allen nauseous – Master's wine breath was definitely weaker than their vodka and soda breath.

"This was all your fault," Tall and Lanky growled at him, stumbling towards Allen with the aid of Fat Number One.

The con artist managed to keep some composure and said, "Is this the way you treat Thief G's partner?"

Tall and Lanky stopped suddenly, so suddenly that he had to steady himself using Fat Number One's head. Fat Number Two's hand became instantly sweaty, and Allen slipped out of it. He dusted himself off and looked at the three. They had gone into whispered discussion this time.

"G? That kid works with G?" Fat Number One said.

"Dude, we can't mess with G; we'll get screwed big time," Fat Number Two added worriedly.

"I heard the name G."

The three turned around, apparently stricken by the juvenile voice. Allen smirked at the small child in front of them, standing with stands on his hips. He came forward, wiping his grubby fingers on his equally dirty shorts. He smoothed down his mullet like hair, then decided against it and spiked it up again. He walked past Allen, patting him on the stomach, since he was about the same height as it. Once he stopped, it only took a glare to scatter the abruptly terrified men. He spat at the ground they had stood on, giggling sinisterly. He came back to Allen and gave him a knuckle touch.

"How ya been doin', my partner in crime?" he asked.

"Not bad since I sold you those hair clasps," Allen answered, "How much did you get for being the middle man?"

Timothy huffed and said, "Not as much as I'd like. I got an orphanage to take care of, y'know. Our 90-10 split ain't gonna cover inflation."

The grin slid off Allen's face. "Don't push it, Hearst. That deal was specifically tailored to give you as much as you _need_, not as much as you want. You shouldn't have retired Mysterious Thief G."

The pair walked into an alley and sat on creaky beer crates before Timothy gave an answer.

"I know, Thief G got me some top dollar sales in the black market. But, I was worryin' Emilia too much. She was askin' me where I was for the day, and I'd feed her a line about playing with some friends. I can't keep lyin' to her – she's all I got left."

Allen leaned his head against the mud laced brick wall and replied, "Look, the point is that you owe me. I got you off the hook when Inspector Galmar caught you. I even told him not to say anything to Emilia. It took a lot of cash, but I did out of the kindness of my own heart."

The nine year old boy laughed bitterly at that. The alley echoed from the laugh, and he wiped a tear from his eye and said, "Kindness of you own heart? Dude, ya tryin' to con me now? You did it for your own gain, that's all. I didn't wanna steal for ya anymore; do your own goddamn dirty work. Why'd ya think I became a middle man?"

Timothy left the question hanging, plunging the talk into fathomless silence. Allen allowed the silence to ensue for just a while, before pressing on with his counter argument.

"Whatever I've forced you to do, I am truly sorry about it," he said, "But do remember; you didn't choose to become the middle man. I let you become it. You think I couldn't have forced you to remain as G?"

The revelation surprised Timothy, and he looked at the older man with incredulity. He dropped his eyes away again, kicking a loose stone like a moping child.

"What do ya want, Walker?"

Allen rested his elbows on his knees, fingers entwined. The younger boy struggled to meet those hungry gray eyes.

"I want you to do one last job for me," the con artist said softly, "And then I will let you go and live your life for good."

…

A few hours later, Allen was kitting out his truck for his new con. He stashed three microchip transceivers he had obtained from Shifu as a Christmas/birthday present last year, about two metres of rope and Cross's spare handgun, along with some clothes in a petite suitcase. Allen was dressed in his usual milky white shirt with a crimson ribbon around the collar, gray waistcoat and black jeans. He had slipped on a pair of stormy gray loafers and donned a heavy black coat to combat the persistent chill of the spring breeze. He climbed into the driver's seat and decided to wait for one minute.

_Being fashionably late won't hurt_, he thought. _In fact, it's more natural_.

His phone started to ring silently, buzzing in his jeans. He checked the Caller ID – the world seemed to become monochrome and desolate when he saw the unidentified number message. He gulped and pressed answer. As usual, an awkwardly masked voice greeted him from the other side, making him shiver.

"So, boy – it looks like you're starting to set things in motion," it said.

"How did you know?" he asked, trying to keep his voice normal.

"Don't be a forgetful idiot; I told you we have spies _everywhere_. We control LA," the voice sneered.

_LA is my turf_, the rebellious side of Allen thought.

He said with a much calmer tone, "Okay then. Am I allowed to carry on now? No offence, but you've made me more than fashionably late."

The voice laughed, sounding more like a series of static bursts to Allen. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. It's ruining your reputation as a gentleman, isn't it? Well, I am also a gentleman, so I'll let you be on your way. Good luck, boy."

He hung up before the younger man could say another word. All the pent up frustration from that short call escaped from Allen's mouth, and he floored it. The truck screeched, and he was sent on his way. After sliding a Bluetooth onto his ear, he hit speed-dial number four. The LCD screen informed him that he was calling Lenalee Lee. It only took two rings before she picked it up.

"Allen! Are you on your way?"

"Yes, Lenalee; are you, Lavi and Kanda waiting outside LACMA?"

"Of course – we're wondering where you are. Is there traffic?"

Allen paused before saying, "I got into a situation. Now please focus on this information – I, well Master Cross, received a tip off about a thief who will attempt to steal a painting from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art."

"Okay, I got that. But I still don't understand why a thief would choose to take a precious item like a painting in broad daylight."

"That's because it's unexpected. No one would think that anyone would be bold enough to try it. That is what makes it genius."

"Wow, you sound like you know a lot about criminals."

He looked at the phone in disbelief. _Did I let something slip? _He thought. _What is with this woman? Is she some sort of hypnotist that can make anyone put down their guard just by her voice?_

Lenalee obviously noticed the long gap as went to say, "I'm joking, Allen. So, we'll meet you-"

She broke off, her attention focused on someone else. Allen could hear Kanda's grumbling in the background whilst Lenalee was talking to Lavi.

She came back and apologized about leaving the conversation hanging, to which Allen could only to the polite thing, and wave it away. They planned to meet at the side entrance, one reason being that none of them wanted to pay the expensive entry ticket price. Another reason was that a worker was supposed to take them through to the curator from there. He disconnected the call, and immediately punched another speed-dial number.

"Timothy," he said briskly, before the boy could greet him, "Tell me you're set up at the museum."

"Roger that," he replied, "Consider Matisse's masterpiece 'Tea' stolen on your word."

Allen smirked, and hung up without another word. In another seven minutes, he brought the truck to a halt in front of LACMA. Kanda's signature Ferrari and Lavi's Harley were parked two spaces away. He slid out of the vehicle, and immediately saw Lenalee's enthusiastic face.

There it was again - that small tug on a stray heartstring.

* * *

**LACMA**

Lenalee beamed at her new 'colleague' as he stepped out. She closed the door for him and they walked together to the side entrance of the museum. Already there were Kanda and Lavi, leaning nonchalantly against the brickwork. Lavi pulled a lollipop out of his mouth and waved them over. He was at least dressed in a more inconspicuous way – a black sleeveless top under a khaki cargo jacket, with no eye watering orange scarf in site. The same white jeans, paint splattered Converse All-Stars and green headband adorned him. Kanda didn't look that different, since he did not own anything brighter than a crisp white shirt. In any case, he was wearing a soft pearl gray sweater with his customary leather jacket, black pants and brown leather ankle boots.

He glared at the newcomer, greeting him with harsh words, "You're late, Moyashi."

Allen narrowed his eyes and retorted, "My name is Allen. And what is wrong with coming fashionably late?"

Lavi slung an arm over the irritated Japanese man's shoulders and added, "C'mon Yuu – just cuz you reached three hours before anyone else did."

The redhead deftly dodged an elbow to the ribcage, followed by a 'don't call me by my first name'. Lenalee rolled her eyes and clicked her fingers at the bickering pair. Allen laughed politely, must to Lenalee's embarrassment. She grabbed her colleagues and whispered to them.

"Guys, please act like you're actually from the FBI and CIA. You're giving the wrong impression to Allen."

Allen popped his head around the huddle, and said with a smile, "So, what is our cover story if regular citizens ask?"

Lavi stuck the lollipop back into his mouth and answered, "It's simple, Moyashi-chan. Yuu is my fourth cousin visiting from Japan, and Lenalee's my girlfriend."

Lenalee's jaw dropped. _Girlfriend?_ She thought, panicked. _Ooh, I hope brother doesn't find out about this! When did he tell us about this cover story?_

For some reason, she gave Allen an apologetic look. There was no need for it; it just appeared on her face, and she was coincidently looking at him. Why would it ever mean anything?

"So, what am I?" Allen asked.

Lavi gave the younger man a sweep with his single green eye. With a mischievous smile, he said, "Our butler."

A sigh of exasperation escaped from everyone's mouth. Before anyone could reprimand the redhead, the door swung open. A worker, with a name tag that read 'Linda', ushered them inside. Soon enough, the group were lingering outside the glass doors of the curator. Allen turned to look Lenalee straight in the eye.

"Right," he said, "I should head up to the fourth floor and keep a watch on the targeted paintings as planned. You guys stay in the curator's office until I come down in two hours, no more, no less. I'll give you the full report. Then Kanda, you will take over on watch."

"Don't order me around," Kanda started with a heated voice.

A portly man in a tasteful suit held the door of his office open. Lenalee, not wanting to keep a busy man waiting any longer, nodded hastily to the plan.

_Go for it, Allen_, a part of her mind thought unnecessarily. _We're all behind you_.

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**A short Lenalee section, again. This chapter was supposed to have more in it, but I thought that there would be more suspense if I leave out the actual con until later. Dark Allen is fun to write – he's so mean to Timothy (kind of OOC in a way…). This is the first time I've written Timothy, so I hope I captured his 'devil may care' attitude. Reviews would be nice~! =D**


	15. Chapter 14: Sinful Blade

**I fear my chapters are getting shorter…but writing a full fight chapter may have something to do with it. I am very inexperienced with fight scenes, so don't think badly of me. I'm dying from no D Gray man chapter T^T. But it's Easter holidays for me! =D**

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**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

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Chapter 14: Sinful Blade

**November 17****th**** 2010, 03:21 – Skinn Bolic's Room**

Kanda gripped the katana tightly and lunged. His shoes ground against the floor before he took off, bringing the blade down in an arc. Skinn, realizing he had no time to dodge, swiped his large _rentsuru_ at the approaching body. One of the bludgeons miraculously struck Kanda's stomach and knocked him away, winding him at the same time. The Japanese gave a small gasp of pain, but landed on his feet. It would take more than that to disable Kanda Yuu. He allowed himself a few seconds to recover, watching the piece of meat called Skinn warily.

"Hey, have you given up your false hope yet?" the Noah goaded, "Because that was me holding back on you!"

Hope? Kanda never believed in hope. He had checked the dictionary once for its meaning – 'Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best' – and he immediately hated the word. It was thrown into the black box of Kanda's unnecessary feelings. Why would he need hope when his skills pull him through every mission?

_Liar_, a small part of his brain said. _You hope – like right now, you're_ hoping _for Lenalee's safety. You're_ hoping _that the two idiots will get to her in time. Yeah, that's right; you're _hoping.

_Shut up,_ he told himself rudely.

"Tell me, FBI," Skinn asked slowly, "Do you like sweet things?"

Kanda gave a smirk. "Can't stand them."

There was no holding back now – Kanda charged again, tactically swerving to his opponent's back to confuse him. The human mass was strong, but not fast; he was met with a fierce swipe to his protective coat. The strikes came quickly, carving an eight petal flower into the coat, skimming the skin off his back as well. Skinn howled as the sword hit, and made a turn for the FBI officer. Kanda saw this coming, and quickly jumped out of the way as the fearsome body turned. The Noah's leather hard skin was tinged with blood. That should have been a fatal hit, but Kanda knew better than to assume that.

Skinn lumbered forward, his chest heaving slightly. The cuts were effective, but only enough to slow him down.

"Have you forgotten?" Skinn said between pants, "That my skin is the hardest to break? That disease left me with skin as tough as nails. Nothing can pierce me!"

Kanda narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?"

As quick as a viper, he circled the beast, looking like he was cutting the air into ribbons. Zhu-sensei had taught him well, and circumstances gave Kanda the chance to practise the techniques for real. In a way, he was almost content being in the midst of this battle.

He drew back, now somewhat out of breath as well. Getting older was not doing anything favours for him – when he was eighteen, he could have lasted the entire hour without breaking a sweat. Now at twenty six, it only took twenty five minutes for his breathing to quicken.

_Twenty five minutes gone, huh_, he thought. _I need to finish this soon_.

Skinn roared with laughter, "Hah! What was that supposed to do? Make me cry? You're pathetic."

The words didn't rile Kanda; he just waited patiently. _Three, two, one…_

_Spurt!_ The all but invisible slashes that the swordsman had made finally came into full view. Blood splashed to the floor, and Skinn was brought down to his knees. Kanda stepped away as the pool started to reach his feet. Victory should be his. Victory should have been his…but the world had other things in mind. The Japanese's eyes grew wide when he saw the supposedly defeated giant rose shakily. A deep guttural laugh escaped from Skinn, bouncing off the peeling walls. Kanda tensed, unsure of what was coming. Only at moment, he felt something wrong with himself. It wasn't his age that was making him breathless – there was something in the air. His sword hand was stinging, almost burning. Kanda's eyes travelled up the sword, and saw that parts of blade had been melted away.

_What the hell is going on? _He thought, his vision starting to swim a little.

Skinn stopped laughing, and decided to give an amused explanation.

"Ah, so you finally noticed, oh great FBI officer? You're being defeated from inside and out. Let me guess; your head is hurting, your hand is burning and that sword is being chipped away?"

Kanda coughed harshly. His lungs felt like they were on fire now. "What-"

"Nitric acid," he pronounced the words as 'neet-trick ackid', before continuing, "Tyki came up with the idea. Remember – my skin has been rendered impenetrable, so I can coat myself in the acid. He even pumped some of the gas through the air vents. Now, what did he say nee-trick ackid could do…?"

Kanda rolled his eyes, which he instantly regretted. It made his already plummeting quality of vision worse.

He coughed again, and said, "_Nitric acid_; it's corrosive in liquid form, and toxic in gaseous form. You idiot, you've never taken Chemistry before, have you - uneducated bastard."

That quip cost him dearly. Skinn stomped over to him, clearly relishing the fact that the viper was now stilled. He coiled the _rentsuru_ around Kanda's doubled over body, and swung him to crash against the wall. The effect was immediate – Kanda heard the sickening crunch of a broken rib, and his own blood curdling scream. The Noah was nowhere near finished, as he tossed his opponent into the cupboard, the stack of sofas and the opposite concrete wall. His coat was completely destroyed, and his shirt was stripped into ribbons - Skinn had thrown him on to a couch; he lay sprawled on his back, the _katana_ barely in his hand anymore. There was no more strength left. No more, no more…

Kanda's thoughts were no longer coherent. He kept fighting to say something, but even his screams died away. Black spots danced in his eyelids, and he felt like ten anvils had just been dropped on him. The awful trudging sound of Skinn's shoes were getting closer. The closer they got, the closer Kanda's imminent death loomed.

"_Giving up now, are we?"_

Part of the swordsman's mind stirred. He saw a luminescent figured, draped in milky white robes. Around her feet were pale, freshly sprung lotuses. He sensed his dream self stagger towards that light, but something was pulling him down. It was the _katana_, full restored in his vision, weighing him back down to Earth. He struggled against the gravity, attempting to clutch the person's garments. His expression moulded into astonishment when the figure shook its head gently. It pushed away Kanda's hand, and gave him a benevolent look.

"_I'm not in a rush, Yuu. You can find me when your destiny allows you to. Now go – safe those comrades of yours. Defeat this menace."_

He understood; this was just an illusion - another fucking illusion. It was always the same one with the stupid lotuses, and that _person_. The world became less polychromatic, and he could feel the real sword in his hand, if only numbly. He wasn't going to lose to an illusion, nor to a bastard Noah. He will find that person, to do that, he must live.

_I'll live_; he thought intensely, _I'll live!_

Kanda could vaguely see Skinn reach for what looked like a whisky bottle. He tried to take the lid off with his meaty fingers, but eventually smashed in frustration. Clear, toxic liquid gushed over his hand, becoming a layer on his palms. That was not alcohol – it was another dose of the deadly acid. With a manic grin, he leaned over to Kanda's motionless body and hauled it up by the throat with one hand. Just as his consciousness was returning, he felt the alarms bells go off in his head. The fingers were tightening, and they were aflame.

"Dead already?" Skinn taunted.

His body betrayed his life immediately; underneath the torn shirt, he saw the minute rise and fall of the chest. The Noah looked confused – was this guy part cockroach? He was so hard to kill!

"Let's see if you strangle to death first, or if your head burns off!" Skinn growled.

Darkness was enveloping Kanda's system, threatening to send him to his demise. But no, he could not lose! He started focusing his last vestige of strength into the blade hand. He tried to forget about the inviting lotuses, and drew his attention to the one thing that was important; to find that person. That one specific person…

_Chink_. Skinn did not notice the subtle movement of the katana, too busy enjoying inflicting pain. The wicked sharp tip pointed straight towards his chest, the partially melted blade aiming down. Kanda forced all his power into one sleek stab through Skinn's liver. He looked down to see what had occurred, and his piggy eyes enlarged. He traced the katana path to a grotesquely corroded hand, to finally met monstrous dark eyes. An unfamiliar shard of fear struck the Noah as a demonic grin marred his victim's face.

"I'd been waiting for you to get this close," Kanda rasped.

The full scale of the pain finally hit the sack of meat. Skinn screamed to the high heavens, and proceeded squeezing tighter. Kanda kept bearing down on the fragile sword, willing his body weight to direct the slash. His neck was not going to last much longer, and he almost lost concentration when he realized the time. The duo had been fighting for fifty seven minutes. In three minutes, it needed to be all over.

He remembered what Allen had said to him: _"If you don't get out of here alive, I'll kill you."_

_And why the fuck will I give him that satisfaction?_

With that last thought, he pushed down with all the might he could sustain. The katana pushed through the flesh in one final motion. Skinn's dying cries filled the room, and he at last let go of the Japanese. His corpse dropped onto the floor, splattering blood and organs. Kanda landed on his knees, and he pressed his hands to the floor for support. Sixty seconds left – all he had to do was find the clue. He stumbled in the direction of the clue, and successfully retrieved it. Thirty seconds remaining. He knew that there was no way out now. Using the wall as an aid, Kanda got to the door. With his police experience e, has knew that there was a high possibility that the doorknob and the bomb were connected. If he opened the door, it would detonate immediately. Taking care not to aggravate any possible detonation equipment, he knelt down and slipped the piece of paper under the door crack.

_With any luck, Dumb and Dumber will come looking for me when they hear the explosion,_ he reasoned. _They'll find the clue, and then they can get her_.

He thought about Lenalee. _This is what happens when I listen to a girl in love with a stupid Moyashi. Che, Komui's going to be pissed that I didn't get out alive…I wonder…the old man…Marie…Al…_

The strings of thought were dying away as adrenaline left his bloodstream. Twenty seconds to go. Kanda merely sat by the door, resting his head against the structure.

Ten, nine – a sarcastic smirk graced his lips.

Eight – there was an unbelievable bang, but he did not think that it was in this room.

Seven, six – shadows of figures loomed around him, and he vaguely registered their existence.

Five, four – Were those hands of humans or of angels wrapping around his torso?

Three, two – he didn't believe in angels.

One.

* * *

**04:30**

"…Shit."

That was all Lavi could muster at the site of the mutilated room. He spotted Skinn's dissected body, and felt a little better.

_At least he did his duty to the end_, he thought.

Allen stood there, with the clue he picked up off the floor crumpling in his tightening fist.

"Didn't I say," he whispered, shaking in evident anger, "That if you died, I'd kill you?"

Suddenly, he kicked a brick away. "DIDN'T I SAY THAT, BAKANDA?"

Lavi rested a comforting hand on the shorter male's heaving shoulder. As a spectator of feuds, he had seen too many people like this too many times. His comrade, no, his current 'job; just became another one. Who was it that was comforting Allen, then? Was it 'Lavi' doing that, or someone else? Who gained the right to say to a friend 'it's okay; Yuu's tougher than ya think'?

He banished a tear with his free hand. Whoever it was, it was still grieving when it shouldn't.

"C'mon – now we really need to get Lenalee. For Yuu's sake," he finally said.

Allen nodded, and attempted to straighten out the clue.

_Oh for God's sake, it's a riddle? _Lavi thought.

"_At the end of the black carnival,  
Past the black and red hearted walls,  
You'll find your treat,  
Let's hope it's still sweet,  
Hurry or you could all could fall."_

Lavi gnashed his molars and snarled, "It's a limerick. They're makin' fun of us."

It was Allen's turn to put a hand on Lavi's shoulder.

He gave his customary con smile and answered, "Well, let's see if the joke can't fall on them."

* * *

**Ah, that took longer than I wanted it to =S Announcement: I'm going to Italy from 17****th**** to the 24****th**** April, so no updates during then. I could squeeze in another one this week, but I also have a lot of revision to do. Life only gets harder…**

**Nitric acid does not have such superhuman qualities, but take it as author's license. And that limerick - first limerick I've ever written, and I'm not even sure if it fits the limerick meter. **

**Reviews would be nice~!**


	16. Chapter 15: Crossing the Limit

**HOLY MITARASHI DANGO, I DID A CHAPTER. Yep, I'm back, kinda. Let's hope I've fully got out of this hiatus, because it was as hard as hell to write this. Anyways, enjoy~**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **'Tis henceforth disclaimed.

**Warning: **Do not try any ideas presented in this story. CONNING IS AGAINST THE LAW. Everything here is fictional, and should stay fictional.

* * *

Chapter 15: Crossing the Limit

**February 24****th**** 2009, 12:23 - LACMA**

Allen bade temporary farewell to Lenalee and the others, and made a beeline for the restrooms. Once inside, he made sure there was not a soul to spot him. He nodded to himself when he saw that it was completely empty. It would be a major hindrance if someone overheard the next conversation.

As if the phone read Allen's mind, it rang, baring Timothy's number. He sneaked a glance outside one last time, then locked himself into a cubicle.

Allen press the accept call button and whispered, "I'm inside, Timothy. Once I've changed, you have an eleven minute time window to do this. But only on my word – not before, not after."

"Roger that," came the reply. It was crackly, sounding like high winds were passing the boy thief's phone. He must already be rigged up.

"I'm going to change. Did you bring those two drunkards with you?"

"Yeah, but they said that they won't do nothin' until ya pay up."

"Damn," Allen hissed, "They should be grateful we're paying them at all."

"We?"

"I meant 'I' - don't push your luck either, Hearst. I'm paying you as well, and a few dollars may get misplaced if you give me any lip."

"Whoa, someone's in a bad mood," Timothy chuckled slightly, "Alright boss, I'm your faithful servant. Just start the mission."

Allen nodded and replied with a smile, "Why don't I treat you to some ice cream as well when we're successful?"

"Yo, Allen? Is that you there?"

Allen snapped his head up, startled by the familiar voice. He flushed the toilet, and walked out nonchalantly. Lavi stood in front of the cubicle with a questioning face. The shorter boy smiled at him, and pointed to his phone and mouthed 'cousin'. Lavi seemed to accept that, and silently leaned against the wall to watch the conversation. Allen rolled his eyes, now thinking about how to finish talking to Timothy without giving anything away.

"So, I'll meet you at the place I told you about. I heard they have the best rewards."

"What? No wait, I get it. Over and out, boss," Timothy responded and cut the call.

Allen pocketed the phone and proceeded to wash his hands, mostly to rid himself of the hot, sticky sweat that covered them. Lavi's appearance was unaccounted for, and he inwardly scolded himself for not anticipating that the CIA employee would snoop around a bit.

"What are you doing here, Allen? I thought you were going to the fourth floor?" Lavi asked him.

"I needed to toilet," Allen lied effortlessly, "Then my uncle called; he wanted me to spend some time with my cousin today."

"Aww, you're such a sweetie," Lavi drawled, "Well, I need the toilet too. See ya later?"

"Yeah."

Allen hastily removed himself from the restrooms, glad that Lavi fell for the story. Without drawing attention to himself, he retraced his steps and went back to his car. After taking out his suitcase, Allen scanned the area for a well secluded area. Before he could walk to the alleyway that was adjacent to the museum, two men stepped in front of him. It was Tall and Lanky and one of the short fat ones – two of the three people that had confronted Allen earlier in the day.

"Oi, money," Tall and Lanky said, stretching out his hand.

"Yeah, money," his accomplice repeated thickly.

Allen smirked at the outstretched hand, and dug into his coat pocket. He produced two crisp fifty dollar bills and threw them at the two. Short and Fat grabbed for them greedily, passing one to his partner. Whilst he was impressed by the amount, Tall and Lanky stood there, unconvinced.

"This job isn't worth a fucking Grant. Fork over more," he said.

"I merely gave you half the pay," Allen said with a shrug, "I will indeed 'fork over more' if you do a good job."

He was satisfied with that answer, and started to saunter away.

"Wait a second," Allen called, "What are your names? It's quite irritating to refer to both of you as 'Tall and Lanky' and 'Short and Fat' in my head."

Tall and Lanky's eye twitched, but he answered, "The name's Derek, and he's Carl. Got that, Shortstack?"

It was Allen's eye's turn to twitch, the 'Shortstack' comment biting him where it hurt; he let them walk away anyway. Allen clicked his tongue, annoyed; this was wasting his time immensely. He went to the alleyway with the suitcase, all the while thinking of the plan. The target was 'Tea' by the artist Henri Matisse, which he had already requested an appointment from the painting manager to see. Under normal circumstances, the museum would have never accepted the request, but of course, these were not normal circumstances. Thanks to Allen's hacking skills, he was able to gain control of an art collector's e-mail address and correspond with LACMA, using an Internet Café's computer to shield his own IP address. To go one step further, he sent a copy of the official LACMA letter he had received in his post to this art collector, saying that they would be happy for him to look around. No doubt, he would have gotten confused and make the journey to the building to investigate. That was when Allen's new 'mask' would step in.

Allen stepped out of the dark path, now clothed in a fine light charcoal suit, with a pillow stuffed underneath the shirt to create a slightly plump look. He smoothed his blonde wig, sleeked back with some gel, and rubbed the fake stubble on his chin. In his hand was a suitcase, containing the LACMA letter, the original one, and a few other things. He frowned as one of his blue contacts started falling, and reached to place it in properly. Right then, he was ready to be the thirty year old French art collector wonder, being one of the youngest people on America's rich list – Bernard Dubois.

He walked past Derek and Carl, who were loitering near the front as planned. They did not make any indications that they recognized him, and continued to walk around the entrance aimlessly.

_Like they have the intelligence to recognize me_, Allen mused.

"Ah, Mr. Dubois!" The painting manager exclaimed as Allen walked through the glass doors, "I'm glad you could make it. My name is Mr. Grant Smith."

Allen gave him a quizzical look; he had seen that Bernard Dubois could not speak or understand more than a few words of English – if he spoke more English than 'hello', 'thank you' and 'goodbye', then his whole disguise would be blown. The problem dawned on Mr. Smith, and he signalled to the man standing beside him.

"Ehh…_bonjour, monsieur Dubois_," the man, obviously a translator, said, "_Je suis content que vous ayez pu venir. __Je m'appelle monsieur_ Grant Smith."

French was thankfully one of Allen's university subjects, so he had no trouble replying: "_Merci. Allons-y, s'il vous plais, monsieur_."

The three men walked up the glass staircase, passing many floors of various artworks. Mr. Smith abruptly turned right on the third floor, confusing Allen. He led the fake art collector to a canvas, and Allen inwardly cringed. The artist who painted this must have a peculiar taste, because it was a human, squashed and packed into a shape of a slab of meat. Blood criss-crossed the body and the fearful eyes spewed the same fluid. Allen could feel bile creeping up his throat, and he gave Mr. Smith a look.

The painting manager, however, looked ecstatic at the image and announced, "I know you're here to look at 'Tea', Mr. Dubois, but I specially obtained a canvas print of 'Your Suffering' for you to look at, since you are mainly a macabre art collector."

Allen patiently waited for the translator to finish, all the while wondering what the hell the real Bernard Dubois was like. He was not a faint hearted man, but Allen would not be able to cope with so many grotesque pictures in his life. Sometimes, only sometimes, it was interesting to con; the things he had found out about people could be enough to ruin their lives. Mr. Smith looked at him expectantly, but Allen just shook his head politely and gestured to the stairs leading to the fourth floor. Mr. Smith's shoulders shagged, but nevertheless he resumed the journey upwards.

Allen saw a glimpse of a wire through the window whilst walking. Timothy must be on the other end of that, pretending to be a window cleaner, albeit a short one. It was amazing how a nine year old could pass off as that - then again, Allen's special effects could make a lot of things possible. He gave a secret wink to Timothy, acknowledging the thief's presence. He tipped his hard hat in return, coupled with a smirk. He had gone through his stealing plan with Allen; he would enter through the rooftop door, and climb down. 'Tea' was being held in a private showroom, secured by an ID card lock. Once he used the lock scrambler, he would be faced with a fingerprint scanner to access the painting. That was where Allen's excellent ruse came in.

"Here we are, at 'Tea'," Mr. Smith said, breaking Allen's train of thought.

He blinked but quickly gained composure as the manager slotted in his ID card and then opened the doors. The metal doors slid open with a hush, and the trio walked inside. The room was slightly dimmed, to prevent any decent photographs being taken of the famous painting. Mr. Smith pulled back the red velvet curtains to reveal thick steel barriers completely encasing the canvas. Allen raised an eyebrow, knowing that this would be his hardest challenge of the con. He watched the manager press his thumb and forefinger to the scanner, wondering if the plan to obtain those crucial fingerprints would work. He stepped backwards slightly, as if in marvel of 'Tea', as it unfolded from the indent in the wall. Surreptitiously, he slipped a thin sticky glove onto his right hand, then outstretched his arms.

"C'est fantastique!" he exclaimed, extruding excitement.

"Isn't it?" Mr. Smith replied, "Feel free to approach it and inspect it."

"Ehh…" Allen mumbled, indicating to the men to turn away, "J'ai mal à l'aise quand les gens me regarder. Je suis sûr que vous comprenez."

"Oh, he said 'I feel uncomfortable when people look at me. I'm sure you understand,'" the translator relayed.

Mr. Smith nodded in understanding, and turned around. Allen stepped to the painting, appearing to be deep in thought about it. In reality, he was inching his right hand precisely to the fingerprint scanner. Since the glove was not a substance that the scanner would register, it would not make a sound. He firmly pressed his full hand on it, staying in that position for a few seconds. The painted was beautiful, even Allen could see that – the oil was intricately woven on the canvas to depict two women having tea on a peaceful summer's afternoon. That would fetch a hefty amount on the black market; even with this basic scrutiny, Allen estimated the price to be $500,000. Granted, it was not the millions that the museums have to pay for Matisse's paintings, but it was the _black_ market – what can you do?

Pretending to be satisfied, Allen walked to Mr. Smith and simply asked, "L'argent?"

That was one French word that Smith understood well; he nodded like an enthusiastic puppy, and after securing the painting once more, he made it out of the exit. Allen carefully peeled off the glove, making sure his fingerprint don't contaminate it, and laid it on the stray chair. Smoothing his blonde wig again, he went outside and waited for Mr. Smith to close the main door. He rested a friendly hand on the manager's shoulders, and led his as far away from the door without looking suspicious. Once they were around the corner, the door completely out of sight, he stopped the group.

"L'argent qu'on possède est l'instrument de la liberté, celui qu'on pourchasse est celui de la servitude," he said loudly, pulling the proverb straight from his textbook.

To the common mind, that phrase must have sounded random; however it could have been linked to the incoming deal.

But to Timothy, it was his signal.

* * *

The young thief quietly slid through the window he was washing, inwardly giggling at his fortune – how lucky was he to pick the own window that the cleaner had forgotten to lock? With the soft steps of a jungle cat, he made it up the stairs, still trying to sling the small backpack over his shoulders. He reached the door with ease, and set down the backpack. He unzipped it as quietly as he could, wincing as the characteristic noise could draw attention. Thankfully, no one came to check, so he quickly donned some 'second skin' – well, that was what he called it; in truth, it only concealed his fingerprints – and brought out his lock scrambler. Once he had attached the wires, it took no more than three seconds for the all clear beep.

He heard some shuffling around the corner, and the manager say, "What was that noise?"

He braced himself, hand curling around the smoke dispenser in his pocket.

However, it seemed that Allen averted the disastrous situation, with a French word here and there. Though Emilia was French, Timothy had never picked any up, so it sounded like mindless babbling to him. With a smirk, he silently opened the door and entered.

The room was cooler than the corridor, and Timothy was glad about that – he knew that sweating was a dangerous thing for a thief to do, almost as dangerous as bleeding. The tricky part was up; he spotted Allen's discarded glove, and cautiously picked it up with his left hand. He stretched out the thumb and forefinger appendage to the scanner, trying not to think that it was now or never. He held his breath, and pressed them onto the scanner…it confirmed the fingerprints as friendly.

Timothy sighed in relief as the painting emerged, but he realized that it was still not in his possession yet. He gave the canvas a once over, deciding that he was too short to be able to reach it himself.

_I need to get taller soon_, he thought as he dragged over a few chairs.

Reaching into his bag again, he produced a penknife, a ruler, a marker pen and a fifty centimetre long tube. Clenching the penknife between his teeth, he set to work – with astounding precision, he marked out his cutting path around the canvas, staying right next to the frame. He set down the ruler and marker on the chair, and grabbed the penknife. It took too long, in Timothy's opinion, to cut the painting loose from the frame. He was conscious of the sounds outside and how they were nearing. Even though he wasn't much of a God believer, he still uttered a mental prayer than Allen can somehow lead them astray. The minutes passed like hours, but finally, he cut through the last thread of canvas.

Timothy quickly rolled up 'Tea', folded it and then stashed it in the canister. Making sure that everything was put away nicely, he put his ear to the door. He could he outraged voices and Allen laughing, and he smirked to himself.

_He's probably offering some insanely low price for this bad boy, _he thought.

"J'ai peur que l'Etat dépense moins bien mon argent que je ne le ferais," Allen said at full volume, guffawing arrogantly.

Right then, time to leave. Timothy sneaked out and sprinted down the stairs, and through the window at lightning speed.

That was his job done. It was now all up to Allen.

* * *

"$900,000," Allen stated firmly, when seeing that Mr. Smith was refusing to budge lower than $3.4 million.

The fake cash in his suitcase only stretched to $2 million, and Allen was wary not to give away all of it. The endless bartering carried on, Allen growing more alert about the time. Timothy was not out yet and he could see that they were edging towards the sealed room again.

"Now, monsieur, I can be reasonable…how about $1.2 million?" Mr. Smith offered.

Allen placed a hand on the other man's elbow and guffawed, leading him away from the door without the other realizing it.

"$900,000, final," he said, determined to get the fraudulent sale.

Both men cried out, saying this was an outrage. Allen just laughed at their misery, knowing full well that a bigger outrage was happening right now. He peeked at his watch; it was time for Timothy to come out, whether he was done or not.

"J'ai peur que l'Etat dépense moins bien mon argent que je ne le ferais," Allen said at full volume, guffawing arrogantly.

The translator looked scandalised whilst repeating the line in English. Mr. Smith's face mirrored that when he said, "I never knew that this was the way you felt about the state of California. But I do want this deal to go ahead…alright, fine – I'm accepting $900,000. We will spend this measly amount properly."

Allen heard a soft click of the door, and smiled. The deed was done, and the painting was his. This was the moment that was acting skills would come in.

"Sacre bleu!" Allen shouted, when he saw only the frame come out from the encasement, "La peinture! Il est manqué!"

He smirked as he saw the uproar he had started. Mr. Smith had gone red, reaching for his walkie- talkie immediately.

"Surveillance room? Please prepare for an impromptu visit," he said shakily.

"Ceci est un schéma contre moi, morbleu! Je te donne l'argent, le tableau a disparu, maintenant!" Allen bellowed, gesturing wildly.

"Come with me please," the manager said, taking him to the next room.

The surveillance room was dark, with many monitors. A weedy, balding man offered the trio to make some coffee. This was Allen's chance. He offered to make coffee with a French flair, since he refused to think common American instant coffee.

Whilst stirring the liquid, he took out three small vials, labelled 'fast acting laxatives'. Making sure no one was watching, he poured them into the three other cups.

"Voilà," Allen said, putting down the tray.

He instantly grabbed his marked cup, and drank it in one. The other three men followed suit.

"Monseiur," Mr. Smith started, setting down the cup," Let's get comfortable, and look through the tapes. I specially asked Callum here to put the video onto this USB stick – we can catch your thief in action…ohh, my stomach feels weird…Bathroom!"

Just as planned. Allen watched their backs as all three jumped out of their seats and ran towards the bathroom. He snatched up the mentioned stick, and took out his own from his coat. After gently tugging at the case, the museum's USB stick fell open. He did the same procedure to his own. He was now left with two pairs of a case, and two boards containing the stick's memory. He swapped the boards, and clicked his case onto the museum's and vice versa. Without a sound, he pocketed it and left. Just in case the video was still on the main system, Allen had installed a malicious virus onto his stick. Once the nitwits slot that into a computer, the entire LACMA system would meltdown.

Allen made it outside without a fuss, and saw that Derek and Carl were nowhere to be seen. He walked into the alley, and heard some muffled pleas from the darkness.

_Ah, so these two are competent_, he thought, surprised.

Derek and Carl's job was to locate the real Bernard Dubois, capture him and take him into the alley. Allen peered at his face, and marvelled how well his disguise had been compared to the real thing. Dubois struggled, earning a punch from Derek.

"What'll we do to 'im?" Carl asked.

Allen took off his blue contacts – Dubois whimpered as he saw vicious, glowing silver eyes through the dim light. Allen shrugged, smirking slightly.

"Kill him. He's no good to us," he said with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

"Non! Non!" Dubois screamed as he was dragged away by the henchmen.

A small prickling feeling nudged Allen's mind. He wasn't a murderer now, was he?

_No, that's silly_, he thought, I'm not the one doing it. _Besides, if I want my uncle back, it's necessary for the detective team to gain my trust._

He changed back into his normal clothes, and sprinted through the side entrance, towards the curator's office.

"Lenalee!" he yelled as he burst through the glass doors, "It happened, the con happened."

* * *

**LACMA Curator's Office, 14:25**

"It happened, the con happened."

A chill ran down Lenalee's spine, and she immediately stood up. She wrung her hands as she briskly walked, Lavi and Kanda following. With Allen on watch, how was this possible?

As if he had read her mind, Allen said to her, "When I went upstairs, I saw an art collector and an official looking person arguing over a missing painting. I followed the collector because he was acting suspicious, but he…"

"He what?" Kanda asked roughly.

"Lenalee, please tell me you're okay with murder cases," Allen said.

Lenalee froze. No, she was not okay with murder cases. She could not handle the glassy eyes, the lashing of blood or the crying relatives. She could numbly feel a hand on her shoulder, and saw that it was Allen's.

He gave an encouraging smile, and said, "You can do this, detective. I'm here to give you strength."

His words warmed her up, making her heart beat faster. She smiled back, nodding with confidence.

"A-and I'm here to give ya strength too, Lena!" Lavi butted in, "And so is Yuu!"

"Fuck off, Usagi."

She reached the crowd of people that had gathered north east of the building.

"Move!" Kanda growled, clearing a path forcefully, not bothering to get out his FBI badge.

Lenalee gasped at the body on the floor. A clean line of red ran across his neck, and his blue eyes had lost all spark of life. She knelt down shakily, wondering what kind of person she was dealing with. Moreover, she wondered if he would dispose of her, and her cherished one, just because they were after him.

"Lena," Lavi said softly, pointing at something. "Look."

She followed the pointed direction, and saw a small white card tucked into the man's black blazer. She extracted it wincing as she touched the body. Lenalee brought it to eye level, and read the words on the rose embossed card.

_Shall we play cat and mouse, Miss?_

* * *

**DUN, DUN, DUN! My try at drama...**

**I got some of the ideas from the Korean drama 'City Hunter' - it's soooo addictive, and Lee Min Ho...*drools***

**The French...use Google Translate to figure it out, I'm to lazy to tell you xD Both signals are French proverbs about money. Apart from the signals, I used my own French knowledge coupled with Google Translate.**

**Just to point out - I know ZILCH about cons and theivery and the techniques they use. The only crime I know is watching through dramas and anime, and researching it for this story. If something doesn't add up in Allen's methods here, I apologize.**

**Reviews? Please? I've been so deprived...and so sorry for the hiatus. I didn't like it either, so I wrote this chapter in a day for you =3**


	17. UPDATE NEWS

Guys, I'm so sorry I've not updated for almost a year. But let me tell you what's gone down.

I had to go through Year 11, which is basically a very stressful and exam filled year that I couldn't ignore. I had to stop writing a lot of things, stop roleplaying for a while, even stop watching anime. I refused to go on MSN and Skype because it would distract me. Plus my MSN wasn't working until I did an update right now.

Another thing was that I got into Hetalia Axis Powers, and I fell for the fandom. HARD. It was mostly because of the roleplaying, but I just loved it and other fandoms, especially D Gray-man, got pushed to the side. I regret doing that now; even though I still adore Hetalia and want to write for it, I realised that my heart belonged in DGM. I will certainly be writing for many more different fandoms now, but I'm back.

The next chapter of Catch Me If You Can has been in the works for about a year. It will be quite a disappointing comeback because of the content of it, but I'm hoping to get the chapter after it finished so there's a double update. Your reviews have really been pushing me on, giving me inspiration and stopping me from deactivating this account altogether. Even though I've not replied to them, I've read all of them and they've touched me.

As a shameless self-promotion, (...I know this is not how a fanfic chapter is supposed to be used, but I think you all deserved to know I'm still alive...) I'm on Tumblr a lot. My URL is victimofinfinitesilence, and there's a link in my profile. It's currently the best way to contact me as my MSN is still iffy and sometimes Skype dies as well.

I'm not the same person that updated last August. I've changed a lot, as a person and as a writer. No doubt I've gotten better, but I'm a lot more mature now.

Consider me an improved Tsuki.

I still love each and every one of you, even the people that I used to contact and talk to regularly but I don't anymore...I miss you every single day and I always hope that we can get back to the old days.

- Tsuki


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